The End of Shadows
by azfaerydust
Summary: The struggle to heal from the pain of the past...and fight for one's happiness! Endless nights of sex are beginning to exhaust Sakura... because the walls of her apartment are a little too thin. Angry at her neighbor for not turning the volume down on his romps, Sakura is about to put her foot down... but will she really get much sleep when the two come to a solution.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

*Inspiration of this story is based around another called wallbanger.

* * *

**Chapter One:  
_It was just a dream_**

_Our little victories and desires won't live on  
Let shadows die  
So I can feel alive  
~Black Veil Brides~_

Sakura sat straight up in bed, soaked in perspiration, gasping for breath, clawing at the unrelenting blackness before she fully awoke and switched on the lamp beside her bed and sent shadows chasing around the room.

She was alone.

She shoved the blanket off herself and scrambled out of bed in instinctual self-preservation. With a hammering heart, she stumbled to the center of the room and stood there, shaking in fear and confusion.

The cool night air pebbled her flesh. Something felt wrong. She caught a faint scent of oil-rubbed leather armor and the coppery tang of blood…two smells that did not belong in her cozy little bedroom. She inhaled deeply, but the odors evaporated even as she tried to identify the source.

It was just a figment of her imagination; just as it had been since the Forth Shinobi war ended and she had come home.

They were always the same. She dreamed of a Madara Uchiha winning the war and enslaving the world in his Eye of the Moon plan. It shouldn't have scared her, it was all over… they won. But in her dreams they lost; Konoha was destroyed and everyone she cared for died.

Understandably, the dream always left her feeling tense and foolish at the same time.

Sakura walked to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. She returned to her bed, sat on the edge, and drank deeply before setting the glass down on the table and slipped under the covers once more. After a brief hesitation she switched off the lamp and looked out the window apprehensively.

Outside, in the predawn stillness, a chill wind stripped dead leaves from a nearby mulberry tree and blew them against her window, startling her. The dry brittle sound somehow seemed ominous to her.

The crisp brown leaves spun against the glass, and for a moment, she half thought were going to form into a monstrous face. Instead, the capricious wind suddenly carried them up and out of sight into the dark sky.

"Calm down, Sakura Haruno," she told herself with a self-depreciating laugh, "You're being ridiculous." She closed her eyes and was right about to fall back to sleep when she heard it.

_Thump_

"Oh god!"

_Thump, thump_

"Oh god!"

Sakura found herself looking around her bedroom in bafflement for a little while before she finally figured out what exactly she was hearing. She glared at the thin wall separating her and the next door neighbor. Sakura snatched up her pillow; somehow resisting the urge to scream into it, and punched it a few times more than necessary to fluff it. As she lay back down she felt movement. Her bed moved..

"Are you kidding me?!"

Sakura glared at the wall again. This was the third time this month she'd had to put up with his nighttime activities. It was getting to be too much. She either woke up in the middle of the night from nightmares or to… that.

She cocked her head to hear if it was going to continue, but it seemed that they were finished. The rumbling purr of Ino's cat, Hachiko lulled her and she began to drift back to sleep. That's when everything went out of control.

"Yes! Yes! Oh my God…Oh, God!"

Just above her headboard was a shelf that she had hung the other day. She had been so proud of herself for hanging it straight. The pictures that lined it began to rattle and then wobble which unfortunately, she didn't see. One of the pictures - a new team photo, was knocked down and smacked her right on the head. Sakura growled as she threw it across the room. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in fury.

Sakura ran her fingers over her scalp - figuring for sure that she received a contusion or a knot. Although there was nothing she cursed long and loud. She muttered quite a few choice suggestions of what her next door neighbor could do to himself until she was fairly certain Hachiko was blushing.

It was like riding a boat on the choppy sea. Her headboard was actually hitting the wall as the unrelenting disturbance continued on.

"Mmm…yes, baby, yes, yes, yes!" the female's voice repeated…and ended with a loud scream.

Then she heard, what the hell was that? Spanking? Yes, it was spanking. There was no way it could be anything else, and someone was really getting one in the next apartment.

"Oh, God. Yes. I've been a naughty girl. Spank me harder! Yes, yes!"

Sakura looked at the wall in disgust as the sounds continued until she finally heard the unmistakable sound of _him_, moaning and groaning.

Sakura jerked out of the bed and shoved it a few inches away from the wall, and grumpily threw herself back under the blanket, muttering fiercely and staring at the wall the entire time. She didn't think she would ever get back to sleep after all that, but finally she did. The last thought in her mind was that she would kill them both if she heard one more sound.

* * *

**~~O~~**

Morning sun peeked through the curtains, striping the sheets and blankets with shadow and golden light. Vibrant pink hair lay softly spread out on the pillow. Jade eyes slowly blinked open.

Although months had passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, Sakura still found herself surprised to wake up in a soft comfortable bed at home in Konohagakure. Rubbing her hands tiredly over her face, she groggily glanced at the alarm clock. Six AM.

"Damn," she thought as she struggled to form a coherent thought. Although happy to be up before her roommate and getting first shot at the shower, Sakura was exhausted. She glared at the wall separating her and the man next door.

Feeling slightly refreshed after her shower, Sakura headed towards the kitchen to get some caffeine and food – and in that order. She was slightly surprised to see her mug on the countertop, steaming with her favorite blend of tea. She didn't think Ino was even out of bed yet.

"_You're a life saver, Ino,"_ she thought as she drank deeply. She ate a quick breakfast and then, hearing the shower start up, refilled her mug and shouted, "See you later, Pig!"

As Sakura locked the front door, she couldn't help but notice the red sash tied to the door of the apartment next to hers. She mentally rolled her eyes and squashed the pang of jealousy. She didn't have to guess who got locked out this time. With Naruto's room right next hers, she knew just who had company… and all night long!

"_Lady, yeah right,"_ she thought with a humph, _"Lady of the evening, more like!"_

Her best friend lived there.

Before the war, he asked her out all the time, but she hadn't been ready to date and then the war started. The war that changed everything… It changed the landscape. It changed enemies into comrades. It changed the hearts and minds of nearly every shinobi in each nation. It changed a girl into a woman…

Now she fully understood the fragility of life and regretted so many decisions such as her prior obsession with Sasuke and her dismissal of Naruto. It was too late; he had moved on. Sakura had seen him in the village with other women and it hurt. She couldn't say anything though because she passed by so many opportunities to be with him. She would have to just accept the fact that they were friends only and nothing more. Still, she thought with a twinge of discomfort, it bothered her.

She couldn't put her finger on the moment when her view of him had changed, but it did all the same. It wasn't until much later that she remembered the first person she cried out for on the day of Pain's attack on Konoha… Naruto. She still loved Sasuke and always would, but only as a friend and teammate.

Now he was back home, living with Naruto and Sai as part of his conditioned 'parole'… Well, that and the fact that there weren't a whole lot of places to live. The village was still in the process of rebuilding and many were sharing accommodations until more apartments could be built. Sasuke wasn't exactly happy about it, but they all were learning to live together without killing each other.

She was so happy to have her whole team together again even she no longer went on missions with them. She was needed too badly at the hospital right now. Not only the regular shinobi, but many of the medics died in the war as well and the hospital was in dire straits without them.

Sakura glared at the red sash one last time before making up her mind. She marched over to the apartment and; holding herself back from destroying it, banged on the door.

* * *

**AN:**

Well, I haven't neglected the rest of my other story - Stronger. I am waiting on my beta to finish giving it a once over. I have been toying with the idea of writing a romance for quite a while and there just aren't enough Sakura/Naruto fics out there. To all the people out there who have read my other work - I know that I typically write longer chapters, but expect this story to be about this size for each one. Hopefully you enjoy it!

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	2. Just Friends

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. (Story of my life!) I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

**_Just Friends_**

We're runnin' with the shadows of the night  
So baby, take my hand, it'll be alright  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight,  
They'll come true in the end  
~Pat Benatar~

Taking a deep breath, Sakura pounded her knuckles on the door and shifted her weight impatiently. Several seconds passed and she didn't hear a thing, not even the soft patter of footsteps. She knocked again, and when there was no answer the second time she turned around and leaned her back against the door.

Ruefully, Sakura shook her head. For a shinobi, Naruto certainly was a heavy sleeper. Nothing short of a chain of explosive tags would wake him up when he was in the village. Of course he wasn't that way when they were on missions, thank god. Sakura sighed in impatience and took a careful sip of her hot tea.

The door behind her suddenly opened, and she was falling into empty space with her mug sent flying. She twisted around, her hand colliding with warm, bare flesh. Warm, _hard_ bare flesh. A strong arm went around her waist, catching her before she face-planted on a flat, brown male nipple.

She jerked back, breaking the hold. Air rushed out of her lungs and her eyes went wide. She was face to face with the perfect pecs - the kind of pecs anyone would want to touch. Sakura's eyes did this wandering thing without her consent; there was so much golden flesh on display that it startled her into silence.

Smooth skin stretched over ridiculously defined abs. He even had those indents on the inside of his narrow hips. He was only wearing boxers and nothing else.

Heat flooded her cheeks as she glanced down for a quick peek.

Full lips curved into a half-smirk, like he knew what she was thinking, his blonde hair was in serious need of a brush. It looked like he'd spent the night with someone running bare fingers through it.

Her stomach dropped. She felt like a fool. Of course someone was running her bare fingers through it.

"What's up, Sakura-chan?" he asked cheerfully, his voice was still deep and raspy from sleep. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of water being turned on in the bathroom. He frowned and then sighed. "Oh…um, you're not going to be happy."

Sakura felt the blood rush out of her face as she realized that the girl was still there. "I'm fine. I can wait in the hallway."

Naruto looked back at her with another frown. "You're not waiting in the hallway, Sakura-chan. You must have come here for a reason and I'm not going to make you stand around. I know how busy you are."

Flustered, Sakura was about to say something when the bathroom door opened. Long, pale legs were what she saw first, and the hem of a tiny skirt that was slightly askew. She wore a tiny top that barely covered her breasts (which were huge). She was, in a word…beautiful. Sakura instantly hated her. _"I'll just bet she bought that outfit at Sluts-R-Us,"_she thought rather spitefully.

"Has she been here all night?" Miss Spanky-pants-perfect-boobs asked with her head tilted to the side and a vapid expression on her face.

Sakura arched a brow at Naruto. Was this scenario so common, and that the girl wouldn't have remembered another girl joining in on their party? If so, she thought to herself, she really needed to get out more. Sakura couldn't help but notice the girl's gigantic breasts. Trying to be casual, she crossed her arms over her own chest to hide her much smaller ones and said, "You have company. I can come back at later time."

"It's okay, Kamiko was just leaving."

The girl swayed her slender hips right up to him and placed a hand on his chest in a familiar, intimate way. An irrational pang of envy hit her and she turned her face away from them. She scrambled for something to say… the idea of berating him for having loud sex with _her_ standing right there just wouldn't do.

"I, uh… I wanted to know if you were ready to go to the training field."

"You two are going to go sparring all alone? Sounds romantic," said the tramp with a bit of a frosty bite in her words.

"No." Naruto slid out of her grasp. "We're meeting the rest of the team up there. Soon. So I need to get going. So… I'll see you later Kamiko."

"Kimiko."

"Huh?"

"Kimiko - my name is Kimiko."

"Oh right... Kimiko. Sorry 'bout that."

Sakura shot Naruto a look, but he was completely unrepentant. Shaking her head, she moved further into the living room.

The girl just wasn't taking the hint, and it was about to get awkward. That was the thing about Naruto. He could charm the panties right off a priestess, but he didn't do the morning-after thing very well at all. And while he was typically nice and well-meaning, he just wasn't very subtle.

As soon as she left Naruto turned and gave her a quizzical glance. "We always meet up on Wednesdays to spar, but don't you think you're a little early? Don't you have to go to work at the hospital first?"

God, she really wanted to knock some sense into him. Why did he have to be with that tramp when he could be with… when he could have…?

_"This is it - tell him off, Sakura. Tell him to stop keeping you up at night. Tell him to stop wasting time with all those other girls. Tell him to look at me…"_

The words froze in her throat. She just couldn't do it. What if he told her it was too late? What if he said he wasn't attracted to her? What if he said he preferred girls with experience? What if he said she was too bossy, too much of a know-it-all, too weak…

Sakura colored an even deeper shade of red than before and mumbled, "Oh, well… uh yes I do. Sorry, I hadn't been sleeping well lately."

"No problem. I'll see you later today."

Sakura practically raced out of the door in embarrassment extremely happy for once about his cluelessness.

* * *

**~Naruto~**

_ Shit. Shit. Shit._

Naruto stared at the door as it was snapped shut and slumped his shoulders. Year after year, whenever Sakura saw him, she always smiled and her eyes would get so bright and so green, he couldn't help but find them beautiful. So seeing her look of disappointment when some random girl stumbled out of his apartment was killer. He hated that feeling of failing her.

They were once teammates. They went through so much together. He knew that no one could replace him in her life. He knew that. He was the friend who knew everything about her and whom she trusted with her life.

He was one of Sakura's best friends.

And because of that, she would never love him the way he loved her.

After the war was over and Sasuke came back to the village, Naruto resigned himself to the fact that she would pursue the Uchiha. It was with great surprise when he realized that she was no longer interested. At first he was elated and was going to ask her out.

**Flashback**

_ Stripped down to a pair of pants and sandals, Naruto jumped towards the waiting Sasuke. They had been sparring for over an hour, and they had the bleeding wounds to prove it._

_ Mock battles between the two always tended to be more battle than mock._

_ Despite his wounds, however, Naruto felt his tension melting beneath the familiar rush of pleasure at pitting himself against a worthy opponent._

_ Sasuke was a true Uchiha, and quite capable of holding his own, even against Naruto's sage mode and his freakish stamina._

_ Silently they performed the flowing, beautiful dance of sparring. It might have continued for another hour, or even more, if Naruto hadn't sensed Sakura unexpectedly entering the field. He just couldn't concentrate with her around anymore._

_ Although she remained silently in the shadows, Naruto was not fool enough to spar with Sasuke with such a distraction nearby. That was a good way to find a sword stuck through his heart._

_ "I'm done," said Naruto, throwing his shirt on and heading towards her while Sasuke just shrugged and walked away, a bit put out at having to stop so early._

_ He smiled happily when he got close and said, "What's up Sakura-chan?"_

_ Sakura smiled."Tsunade told me the great news. I'm so happy for you."_

_ Naruto smiled proudly. The culmination of all his hopes and dreams was finally here. Lady Tsunade told him that she was going to start training him to take her place. He was going to become the sixth Hokage. There was only one dream left… Sakura._

_ He watched her from the corner of his eye. He admired the way the wind playfully teased her hair and wished it was he touching it. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet, gathering the nerve to ask her an important question._

_ He was about to ask her on a date when he saw the shadows in her eyes. Concerned, Naruto asked, "Is something wrong?" He looked back towards the direction Sasuke had headed and said, "If that bastard did or said something to upset you, I'll kick his…"_

_ "No, no, no, calm down. Everything's fine. He hasn't done anything."_

_ "Oh…" hesitantly he asked, "Are you upset because you want him too… you know… because you still love him?"_

_ "I don't love him," she replied in a low voice, shaking her head. "At least not like that anymore."_

_ "But you loved him since you were little."_

_ "But I'm not little anymore, Naruto. I've grown up and so have you. Remember how you and Kiba hated each other at the academy? Well, who was his best man last month?"_

_ "Me."_

_ "That's right." She turned away and looked up at the sky. Softly she said, "Things change, people change, feelings change…"_

_ Naruto steeled himself, ready to tell her how he felt deep inside, how much he truly loved her - always had, always would. "Sakura, I…"_

_ "Naruto, I'm so thankful I have you in my life." She looked at him and threw herself in his arms, hugging him tight. "I just keep having nightmares about your near death. If I would have lost you…" she drew in a deep ragged breath. "Your friendship means more to me than anything else in this world. If I didn't have you in my life, I don't know what I would do."_

_ And just like that, Naruto's dreams came crashing down around him. He knew that telling her how he truly felt would ruin things between them. Hiding his grief, he smiled widely and said, "I'll always be there for you, no matter what."_

_"Hey, I'm still here." He wiped the tear from the corner of her eye and then grabbed her hand. "Come on," he yelled enthusiastically, "We still haven't gone out to celebrate with a bowl or two of Ichiraku ramen."_

_ "Only two?" she teased._

_ "Ah Sakura-chan, you know me so well."_

**End Flashback**

* * *

When she started dating people he decided it was time for him to do it too. There was always a woman willing to be with future Hokage, but each encounter left him feeling empty inside.

The last thing he wanted Sakura to do was witness the walk of shame. Wasn't the first time, but every time it happened he swore it would be the last time. Except there never was a last time.

He needed to get out of the house. He threw on some clothes, grabbed his keys, and was about to leave when the door opened and Sai and Sasuke walked in. Happy for any kind of distraction, he sat down on the couch and greeted them with a false smile.

Sasuke's dark eyes studied him. He wasn't fooled for a second but something told him that now wasn't the right time to ask.

"Is she gone?" asked Sai, looking cautiously around.

"Who?"

"Tch, you don't even remember her name do you?" said Sasuke with a snort.

Sai frowned. "Why did we even need to leave last night? What did you two do?"

"Her name was Kimiko," said Naruto proudly for remembering. "And what do you think we did, Sai? We had sex."

Sasuke's expression didn't change, but the disgust in his tone spoke volumes. "Thanks for sending my imagination to a place it can never return. You know you're probably confusing the hell out of him," he said, pointing at Sai. "He probably does not even know what that is."

"Of course I do. I have been fully educated about sexual relations. I am aware of the way humans usually reproduce is messy, unsanitary and; based on living with you two for the past year, involves loud and unnecessary appeals to a deity."

"Oh God…"

Naruto held back a snort of laughter upon seeing the shocked expression on Sasuke's face, but began to roll with laughter at Sai's next words.

"Yes, that is exactly what the women always say."

Living with Sasuke and Sai was interesting to say the least. Naruto thought it would be really great as he'd always been alone his whole life. Turns out he was wrong. Sai liked to make comments about his body that creeped him out or just plain annoyed him. _I am not dick-less for god's sake!_And while Sasuke was definitely a different person from when he was a twelve year old genin, he was still taciturn and more than a little grumpy. Still… he was getting better.

Slowly…

Very, very slowly…

Last week he even smiled and laughed a little. Of course, Naruto wasn't quite sure if it was because of his win at their sparring match or because Sai got stabbed with a kunai pretty severely…

Naruto suddenly got a look in his eye that spelled trouble for anyone it was aimed at. "Hey, I've got an idea," he suggested, "Maybe we should take Sai to Madam Aiko's for a little instruction."

Sasuke let out a disapproving grunt.

"Who is Madam Aiko?"

Naruto grinned. "Oh, you'll like it. It's a geisha house. Do you have any money?"

Confused, Sai opened his wallet, pulled out a handful of bills, and showed it to Naruto.

Naruto frowned thoughtfully as he counted the money. With a sigh, he said, "I don't think you can get much with that."

"So what do you get for a hundred ryo?"

"Not much." He pulled his own wallet and handed Sai some of his money, adding, "But for two hundred, you can get one with teeth." He gave Sasuke a significant look and said, "You give him some too."

"Why should I?"

"Because maybe then he'll know what's going on and stop asking you those awkward questions that you love so much. Remember when he asked you if you knew of any good books on the subject… or when he asked you to describe it… or if he could watch you do it so he could take notes…?"

Sasuke couldn't pull his money out fast enough. He shoved an additional two hundred in Sai's hand and said, "This should get you one at least born in the same decade as you."

"But we are all supposed to meet in a few hours at the training field. I do not believe there is time for this sort of thing. There is also that bachelor party we are supposed to attend tonight..."

"Trust me Sai; it's your first time. You won't be in there long."

Sai looked at his teammates hesitantly and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Blue eyes twinkling, Naruto smiled and innocently held out his hands. Shaking his head, he said with as much charm as he could muster, "Hey come on now… when have I ever misled you?"

"Shall I go in chronological or alphabetical order?" replied Sai seriously. "I have made a list if you would like to peruse it."

"Um… maybe later."

* * *

**AN:**

To those who don't know my writing, I always liken Sai to Sheldon from Big Bang Theory so if you see something that sounds familiar - that's it.

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised by all the positive feedback that I got on the first chapter! I guess there are a lot of Naruto/Sakura fans out there after all! And while I'm not exactly what you would call a big fan of Hinata, there will be no character bashing in this fic. Also, Sasuke will seem to be a bit OOC, but I figure that when he does actually come back to the Leaf Village in the manga, he would naturally become different. Anyways, that's my thoughts on that subject! I want to give a big thank you to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

So I like to recommend really good fics that I've read. If you know of some, let me know! (Please, for the love of all that's holy - no Naru/Hina). So one of my favorites has got to be **Wilderness** by **Kanji no Sakka. **Sakura goes on a mission with Naruto during the war to take control of all the biju inside him. It's very, very good.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	3. The Cat's Meow

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

* * *

**Chapter Three:  
_The Cat's Meow_**

_I can tell you why people go insane  
I can show you how you could do the same  
I can tell you why the end will never come  
I can tell you I'm the shadow on the sun  
~Audioslave~_

"Are you ready to go, Forehead?"

Sakura looked up from the piles of paperwork she had been steadily plowing through for the past several hours. Surprised at the time, she yawned deeply and stretched. "Just a minute," she said as she neatly put everything away while her friend impatiently waited.

Ino, idly staring out the window, gave a hiss of displeasure. "Oh look," she commented, "It's _**'The Ass'**_ and Naruto."

Sakura laughed. "When are you two ever going to bury the hatchet? This weird thing between you and Sai has been going on long enough, don't you think?"

"No way, he started it. Just the other day he told me that he hates to go on missions with me because I snore. Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to get through this upcoming mission without killing him."

"The one to the Land of Ogres? But that's this weekend. Lady Tsunade said I could go on that one so you wouldn't miss Shikamaru's wedding."

"Well she's had Naruto assigning the missions for the last week so you'll have to talk to him. Personally, I would be very happy not to have to go. Two weeks with Sai just doesn't sound like a lot of fun."

Sakura shook her head, smiled and then stood up and opened the door. She quipped over her shoulder as she walked out, "Oh and by the way Ino-Pig, you do snore… and quite loudly."

Together they walked out of the hospital and through the bustling streets of Konoha. Ino ran through a long list of complaints about Sai ending with, "I just don't understand why, in this whole entire village, Lady Hokage had to put that idiot in the apartment next to ours. The walls are paper thin." She turned and whispered, "I can practically hear him undress."

"Tch," muttered Sakura, "At least that's all you hear. If I have to listen to one more tramp screaming "Oh Naruto, Oh yes," one more time, I'm going to punch through that wall and truly give them something to scream about."

Ino giggled. "Wow, that didn't sound hostile at all. So what is the deal between you two?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tall, blonde and totally sexy… ring any bells?"

"Nothing, we're just friends!"

"Is that what you want?" she asked knowingly. When Sakura didn't respond, it was answer enough for Ino. "Um hmm, tell that to someone who doesn't know you better. He's been in love with you since forever."

"No, he doesn't see me like that. Not anymore. Now I'm just his friend." As they stopped in front of a shop, Sakura stared unseeing into the window. After a few seconds passed she added, "He's got girls traipsing in and out of his apartment all the time. He doesn't want me."

"Sakura, none of those girls know him. Not like you do. They are with him because he's going to be the next Hokage. I can promise you this, if you just told him how you feel, he would drop all of them in an instant and never look back. You just need to make him see you as more than a friend."

Sakura shook her head sadly and said quietly, "But what if you're wrong Ino. What if I told him and he didn't feel that way. I can't do it. I would rather be at his side as a friend than not at all. I just can't risk it."

"Where is the Sakura I know, hmm? This is so unlike you." Ino rolled her eyes and shook her head at her blind friend. She said sarcastically, "You're just a little ray of sunshine aren't you, Forehead? Come on - cheer up, we've got that party tomorrow and you're not going to weasel out of it by claiming the need to work again."

"Pig! It's not an excuse. I have a lot to do here. And… I'm not sure I'm fit to be seen in public right now. I just can't picture me enjoying myself right now."

Ino looked into the dress shop. With a gasp, she pointed at one of the mannequins and said, "You will be in that dress. It's perfect for you." She grabbed Sakura's arm and dragged her inside. Ino snatched the dramatic, sexy outfit off the rack and held it up in front of her. "You have to buy this!"

"Ino," sighed Sakura, "That is not a dress, it's a rumor of a dress. It's barely forensic evidence of a dress. It's not me."

"It _**is**_ you. This weekend, Sakura, I swear, I'm gonna make you have fun if it kills you... You shouldn't be afraid to show a little skin. Guys like that. I bet if Naruto saw you in this he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off you." She grabbed another and showed it to Sakura. "And I'm going to wear this."

Sakura rolled her eyes and looked over Ino's choice. "Speaking of which - how will you even stay in that outfit?"

With a wink, Ino said, "With any luck, I won't need to."

Stunned at her friend's admission, Sakura turned to her with wide eyes. "But you said you wanted to wait until you found the perfect guy."

"Yeah, I know. It's just… haven't you noticed it? Everyone's pairing off. It's like some sort of conspiracy. My mother said that the council has been putting pressure on the clans to begin fulfilling their betrothal contracts ever since we returned from the war."

"Betrothal contracts?"

Ino sighed heavily. "It's a clan thing; you know - continuation of the line, yada, yada, yada. Why do you think Kiba got married so quickly, or Chouji? Shikamaru told me that his father left behind written instructions before he deployed. He was the one that suggested Shiho as an ideal wife if anything happened to his match."

Sakura gasped. "Why haven't you ever told me? Do you have one?"

"No." Ino smiled sadly and fingered the necklace her father had given her when she was little. "Daddy refused to make one. He wanted me to find love."

"Oh Ino, I'm so sorry. I know how much you miss him." Eying the skimpy outfit with resignation, she said, "Come on, I'm supposed to meet the guys at the training grounds in an hour so let's go buy those outfits."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Naruto was already there when Sakura arrived. He was sitting under a tree with a stack of paperwork spilling out of his bag.

It just never ceased to amaze her; somehow without her seeing it, he had grown up. She studied him as he looked through the files in his hands, to take in the reality of the strength of his large body, appreciate the width of his shoulders or the long lean legs, muscles delineated by his training pants.

"It's not polite to stare," he chuckled without looking up. When he got no response he glanced up. "Earth to Sakura." Naruto waved an impatient hand in front of her face.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Sakura turned a little red and shook her head as if to clear some unwanted thought from her mind. Naruto sat for a moment just staring at her. She had bags under her eyes and had lost quite a bit of weight in the last few months.

"I said, you need to eat some food, get some sleep, and take better care of yourself. I hate seeing you like this."

Sakura rolled her eyes as she always did and brushed his concerns aside with a mumbled, "I'm fine."

"Damn it, you're not fine. When is the last time you ate a decent meal; let alone slept for more than three or four hours a night?" Naruto was getting more and more frustrated with Sakura. He had watched as she took over as chief medic at the hospital and let it take over her whole life. She never took time off, and when she wasn't at the studio, she was in her home going over paperwork.

He wanted to pull her close and hold her until she listened to reason and took a much needed nap in his arms. Mentally smacking himself, he quickly let that thought slide away.

Sakura had been Naruto's best friend for years. She was one of the only people he could talk to who actually listened. His buddy Kiba was great to hang out with and drink with, but not a great listener; unless the subject was weapons or hot chicks. Sai and Sasuke were… well, Sai and Sasuke. Sakura; on the other hand, was one of the them but would also listen if he needed her to. She never judged, gave great advice, and was the most loyal person he knew.

Every time he started to let his romantic feelings for Sakura come to the surface, he quickly pushed them back down. He thought about everything he would lose if he told her how he felt.

If she didn't return his feelings, which at this point he was pretty sure was the case, there would be an awkwardness hanging over them every time he saw her. If she did have the same feelings and they tried and failed at a relationship, he would lose his best friend and girlfriend all in one shot. Girlfriends came and went, but a friend like Sakura was one in a million. That was not a risk he was willing to take.

"So what's on your mind besides staring at me?"

"I wasn't staring," she practically shouted in embarrassment. Alright, so she had been staring a little. It was all Ino's fault for putting such ideas in her head…

"…And if I was it was only in surprise to see you reading!" _Oh god, why did you have to say that? _"So, um - why are you here so early anyways?"

Naruto's blue eyes twinkled as he grinned at her. "Believe me, I wouldn't if I didn't have too, but Baa-chan gave me an important assignment. She wants me to do something for the benefit of the village."

Sakura lowered her body to the ground and took a few sheets. After perusing them for a few minutes she said, "There are a lot of good ones in here. Do you know what you want to do?"

Naruto had an uncertain look on his face. He frowned and then admitted, "No. These are all good, but…"

"But what?"

"Well," he hesitated, "I think I want to do something different."

"What do you want to do?"

"The kids…"

Confused, she asked, "What kids?"

"The war orphans. There are a lot, you know, with no families to take them in. Baa-chan even had to order a second orphanage built. There's just so many and their lost and alone. No kid should have to grow up that way."

Deeply touched at his compassion, Sakura sighed. "Oh Naruto, that's so… so sweet of you. You really will be a wonderful Hokage. So what's your plan?"

Well first I want to encourage the people to consider adopting and then I was thinking of starting some sort of big brother, big sister sort of thing."

"That's a really great idea. I would like to help if I can."

Naruto was about to turn her down because she had so much going on right now, but he couldn't get the words out. He knew it was selfish of him, but he liked the idea of spending more time with her.

"_After_ I get back from that mission to the Land of Ogres."

"Land of Ogres? But Ino is the medic in charge of that one."

"But I want to go." She turned to Sai and asked, "You wouldn't mind me going rather than Ino, would you Sai?"

"Would you like the long answer or the short answer?"

"Hey," sputtered Sasuke indigently, "How come we never get that option?!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned back to Naruto. "I know you are in charge of the mission assignments, so let me go instead. Ino can go to the wedding and take over my duties at the hospital."

"I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because Baa-chan specifically asked for Ino to go. It's out of my hands."

Angered, Sakura clenched her fists and snarled at Sasuke, "We're sparring each other today, right? Well, let's do it."

Sasuke sent Naruto a baleful glare as she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the other side of the field while Sai stared at him with a confused look on his face.

"What?!" asked the blond somewhat guiltily as he shoved the papers back in his bag.

"You just lied to Sakura."

"Yes, I did."

"But you did it so casually; no rapid breathing, no increase in perspiration."

"So?"

"So, according to a book I recently read, the lack of a physiological response while lying is characteristic of a violent sociopath."

Exasperated, Naruto asked, "Sai, are you worried about your safety?"

Sai stared at Naruto for a moment in quiet contemplation. He answered, "No, I imagine if you were going to kill me, you would have done it a long time ago."

"That's very true."

Still confused, Sai asked, "So why did you lie to her?"

"That mission's objective is to collect data from one of Orochimaru's old, abandoned labs and then destroy it. It could be very dangerous and Sakura just hasn't been herself lately. I just don't think she's up to it right now."

"You had better hope, for your sake that she does not find out."

"She won't as long as you don't say anything. Come on, let's spar. I have a date tonight."

"But I had to sleep outside last night…"

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Thump.

"Oh, God."

Thump, thump.

"Oh, God."

You have got to be kidding me…

There was no confusion as Sakura was woken up this time, because she knew exactly what was going on. This time her bed didn't move because it was still pulled far enough away from the wall, but the noise was unmistakable. She tiredly rubbed her eyes and angrily stared up at the ceiling.

Then she heard an odd sound. The cat was hissing.

She looked in surprise at the cat, whose fur was all puffed out. His tail whipped back and forth and he arched his back, stalking around her bed.

"What's wrong with you Hachiko? Calm down. It's just that a noisy idiot of a neighbor, that's all." She tried to calm him by rubbing his head, but Hachiko would not settle down. She added, "A soon-to-be dead, loudmouth idiot of a neighbor." That's when she heard what had gotten him riled up.

"Meow."

Wait… what?

She looked at the cat, who seemed to be giving her a 'wasn't me' look. Sakura turned her head to the side with a confused expression on her face. She scooted up closer to the wall to see if she heard that right. She heard it again.

"Meow! Oh, yes. Meow, me-yow!"

The girl in his room was making cat noises. Although a little sick to her stomach at the thought of what he was doing, Sakura giggled to herself. Whoever heard of a woman meowing from sex? Then again… what, in the name of god, was Naruto doing to her to make that happen?

At another really loud meow, Hachiko, went absolutely crazy and tried to go through the wall to get at the female 'cat' that was wailing in heat. He threw himself at the wall again, almost knocking himself out. His yowls became louder and more insistant.

"Oooh yes, right there, Naruto Oh god, yes… …meow, meow, meow!"

Sakura stared at Hachiko in exasperation before grabbing the dumb cat to prevent him from hurting himself. All she got for her efforts was a long scratch on her arm. "Fine," she muttered, "Go ahead and knock yourself out then…"

The woman didn't sound like she was from Konoha. She had a slight accent although Sakura couldn't quite figure it right away. Cloud? Sand? She blushed a bit when she realized that she had her ear pressed to the wall.

But she didn't pull herself away right away. Instead she found herself trying to figure out the identity of the woman having sex with _her_ teammate.

She whispered to herself before moving back to her bed, "You are being ridiculous, Sakura Haruno. What are you doing at 2 am in the freaking morning? Get a grip!"

She sighed to herself and then tried to calm the cat down again. She softly murmured soothing nonsense to him and gently rubbed his head, which he normally loved. Eventually she had to admit defeat as the cat would not be calmed. He was a male cat and was certain that a female was in heat in the next room. His cries continued getting louder and louder in response to the woman's meows until Sakura wanted to cry in frustration.

Sakura took a deep breath and let it out slowly and deeply. She could hear Naruto's low moans and knew it would be over soon. She refused to admit to herself that she was listening to him with bated breath, but she was.

He groaned loudly and his headboard began to slam into her wall. Yup, he was bringing it home.

The woman meowed louder and louder, Hachiko meowed louder and louder. Her meows turned into howls, until she finally screamed, "Jaan! Jaan! Jaan!"

Furrowing her brow, Sakura thought, _"Where have I heard that before? Who always says that? Ah yes, Kankurō." _She was from the Land of Wind. For the love of Suna…

His headboard slammed several more times in quick succession until it; thank god, stopped in one final bang. The woman finally stopped meowing too, but Hachiko didn't. He continued to meow in desperation for several more hours.

Stupid cat.

This had to stop…

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Sakura was completely worn out by the time Hachiko finally quit his caterwauling. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get back to sleep. She tossed and turned until her hair stood up in every direction before admitting to herself that getting any more sleep at this point was pretty useless. She tiredly crawled out of her bed and decided to make some breakfast.

"Damn him anyways… and damn her…" she snarled at the apartment next door. She shoved her blanket off and stomped out into the kitchen, muttering angrily to herself. After filling the tea kettle with water sitting down at the table, she stared unseeing out through her window, lost in her thoughts. She almost jumped a foot in the air when Hachiko wound himself around her ankles.

"Sure… now you're quiet, huh?" He gave a loud purr, to which she responded wryly, "And nice too, huh?" She rubbed the long scratch on her arm. "And to think I took you in, fed you, pet you, and this is the thanks I get?" she muttered to herself. She rubbed his ears as his purrs got louder and then commented, "First I have to listen to Miss Spanky pants and now this. What's next? No forget I said that, I don't want to know. God, I need some sleep… now I'm talking to a cat…"

She headed back into the kitchen as the tea kettle began to whistle and poured herself a cup before feeding the cat. She blew the steam away a took a deep swallow. Deciding that a hot shower would make her feel better, she sat down the cup and headed in that direction, but before she had even left the room, she heard the sound of a door opening in the hallway.

Quickly telling herself that there was nothing wrong with being curious, Sakura ran to her door and pressed her eye to the peephole to see look. She knew she shouldn't care, but she was dying to know what a woman who meowed during sex looked like.

Naruto was standing just inside his apartment so she couldn't see him, but she got a full view of Whiskas. She saw his arm reach out and his fingers run through her long, black hair. Sakura touched her own short, pink locks in consternation.

The woman was practically purring at the blonde jerk! "Mmm, Naruto-kun, I'm so glad I got to meet up with you again. Last night was wonderful," she purred. She leaned towards him and gave what Sakura could only assume was a long kiss.

After a moment, she pulled back and Naruto cheerfully said, "I couldn't have said it any better myself. It was really great. You should visit Konoha more often."

"Can I seek you out the next time I'm in the village?" she asked as she ran her hands down his chiseled chest. _God, I hate her!_

"Oh, please do," he answered, and then he ran his hands over her back and pulled her in for yet another kiss. The tramp's foot lifted like they did in Kakashi's trashy Icha Icha books. Sakura started to roll her eyes, but that hurt because she had it pressed so firmly against the peephole.

"Until next time," she murmured huskily.

This time Sakura did roll her eyes despite the pain. _"God, can they get any more corny?"_she thought rather testily. _"Still, she does sound better now that she's not meowing like a cat in heat."_

"See ya," he laughed, and with that, she gracefully walked away.

Sakura walked slowly away from the door and went into the bathroom. As she washed herself she kept thinking and wondering just what Naruto did to make her meow.

* * *

**AN:**

So you probably figured out by now that I'm obsessed with music - I like to put lyrics of songs that inspire chapter and what-not. Just for giggles, I thought I could see how many songs I knew with the word shadow in them and put them under my chapter header. Cuz you know - just thought I'd share that kind of useless knowledge with you!

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

For this week's Naruto/Sakura recommendation** I have Do You Remember love **by** Digifruit. **Naruto dies and then wakes up as a twelve-year-old genin. He discovers that the shadow clone technique duplicates his soul each time he uses it, and he is cursed to relive the tragedy that is his life over and over again for every soul he had duplicated. This story is so awesome. Actually, you should also check out Digifruit's other _Naruto_ work because they all have the same sort of theme.

Ja Ne,

**AZFAERYDUST**


	4. The Giggler

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

* * *

**AN:**

Please bare with me here - I swear this whole story is not going to be about Naruto getting busy with other women... that being said - there has to be one more "incident" before Sakura finally loses her cool.

* * *

**Chapter Four:  
_The Giggler_**

_I'm a good man with a good heart  
Had a tough time, got a rough start  
But I finally learned to let it go  
Now I'm right here and I'm right now  
And I'm open knowing somehow  
That my shadow days are over  
~John Mayer~_

Sakura didn't even bother to hide the huge yawn that erupted from her mouth. She tiredly rubbed her grainy eyes as she sat down at her desk and tried to focus on the charts in front of her. From outside her open door, she caught sight of Lady Tsunade and gave her a lazy wave. She came back and stuck her head in.

"Good morning, Sakura. How's the new apartment?" she asked as she stepped into the office room.

"Definitely better than living in a tent. Thanks again for assigning it to Ino and I. It sure was nice of you to move us to the top of the list and get us in sooner. I thought for sure we would have to wait another month." drowsy

Tsunade gave an odd smile that; tired as Sakura was, didn't miss. She was about to comment on it when she yawned again, barely covering her mouth in time. The Hokage's sharp eyes didn't miss a thing.

"Sakura, I know it's the end of the week and all but it's still early in the day. How can you be drowsy already?" she reproached as she took in the girl's haggard appearance.

She grimaced, "My neighbor's nighttime _activities_ keep coming through the walls."

"Ooh, which one? What did you hear?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with the thought of juicy, new gossip.

_"I don't care how old you are, or what background you come from," _thought Sakura wryly,_ "There are two universal truths. We will always laugh at…gas if it happens at the wrong time, and we are always curious about what goes on in other people's bedrooms."_

"Lady Tsunade, seriously. You won't believe what's going on over there. The first night, that idiot was slamming his headboard so hard against my wall that a picture dropped from my shelf and hit me on the head!"

Lady Tsunade's face split into a huge salacious grin and she jumped up and shut the door. "You're kidding me!" she said loudly. "Tell me everything."

Sakura's depressed mood lightened at Tsunade's reaction. Somehow a giggle escaped her lips, making her feel a little better. She smiled and chirped, "I'm absolutely serious! They were so loud and then he started spanking her which only made her get even more vocal." Sakura still wasn't so sure why anyone would like that, but figured it was just one of those mysteries in life.

"Really? Spanking, you say? Nooo." she replied in a giggle like a young academy student.

"Seriously, that's what happened. His headboard was hitting my wall so hard that my bed actually moved, Lady Tsunade. I'm not joking! I saw Spanky leave the next morning and…"

"Wait, was that her name?"

"Beats me - that's just what I nicknamed her. And then I got woken up again last night…"

"What, the same girl? Did Spanky got spanked again?"

"No, no, no… last night I got to hear the stylings' of a creature named, Whiskas," she continued.

"Whiskas? I don't get it." She frowned.

"The Sand kunoichi he made meow like a cat in heat."

She laughed again while Sakura just rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I can't believe it - two women in a row, that's… inspiring," sighed Tsunade a little too wistfully for Sakura's comfort.

Sakura clenched her fist and tried to control her rising temper. She said through gritted teeth, "You think that's inspiring? No way. Manslut, Manwhore, Man-whatever - you take your pick. It's ridiculous, that's what it is. Hasn't that idiot ever heard of disease?"

"So which of your neighbors is it anyways? Do you know?"

"Yes," she said a bit reluctantly. "It's Naruto. Kind of hard to miss it because Spanky and Whiskas kept shouting it out every night. Those walls are just too thin. I can hear everything… that damn idiot," she mumbled under her breath.

Tsunade let out a loud burst of laughter and then, as she calmed down into a occasional chuckle, she said rather proudly. "So Naruto's become a man - good for him!"

Sakura's eye twitched as she smothered another yawn. Tiredly she sighed and then bit out sarcastically, "Good for him, my butt! That jerk needs to take it someplace else… Someplace where my poor traumatized cat can't be subjected to his perversion…"

"Like his own apartment?" asked Tsunade with a grin.

They were both silent for a minute before looking at each other and then bursting into laughter. Although still a bit aggravated, even she had to admit it was a little funny in the bright light of day. Sakura ruefully shook her head and then laid it on the desk as they continued to giggle.

To Sakura's disapproval, Tsunade pulled out a small flask and offered a drink to her favorite pink-haired medic. At her tight-lipped refusal, the older woman commented, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's not like he'll do this much longer."

"What do you mean?"

The Hokage gave her student a shrewd look and slyly said, "He's the most loyal shinobi I know. Someday soon, one of those women will snatch him up. He _is_ a great catch you know. That will be a sad, sad day for the rest of the women in Konoha because he will be a one-woman man. You know Naruto; once he makes a commitment, he never breaks it."

Sakura lowered her eyes and stared at her desk. Quietly, she agreed, "Yeah, that's true."

"And judging from the sounds you heard, I would say he's an excellent lover. Whoever he marries will be a very lucky woman."

"Lady Tsunade!"

"What? I'm old, not dead. Okay, let's get to work," she finally said. "I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be very nice of me to mention all this to that boy, but damn it'll be hard to resist teasing him about it."

"Oh god no," said Sakura quickly. "Please don't say anything."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Nighttime was creeping in, the sun going down and casting the world into shades of orange and pink when Naruto entered the bar where they were celebrating the last few days of Shikamaru's bachelorhood. Spotting Kiba in the corner talking to Shino, he made a beeline for him. He punched his arm and said loudly, "I thought you weren't coming tonight. So how's fatherhood been treating you?"

Kiba had never looked so haggard. He had dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and white stains all over his shoulder. When Naruto pointed them out, he just shrugged, ran a hand through his short, spiky hair, and said ruefully, "It's been a little rough. All that kid does is eat, poop, and puke. Hitome told me to get out, so here I am."

"Oh yeah? What happened?"

Kiba turned a bright shade of crimson as he admitted in a low undertone, "I dropped the baby." At Naruto's shocked look he hastily assured him, "He's alright. He barely even cried, but you'd of thought I killed him the way she and my ma carried on. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Look," he said pulling up his pant leg, "Akamaru even bit me. _ME_ - can you believe it?"

Naruto tried… really he did. But at Kiba's indignant expression, he burst out laughing. When he finally caught his breath he said, "Looks like you got what you deserved." Still chuckling, he made his way towards Shikamaru.

"Hey!" he shouted at the blonde's retreating back, "It was an accident!"

**~o~O~o~**

"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour. How are you doing, Shika?" He nodded at the others sitting at the table and grinned companionably at Sasuke adding, "And Mr. tall, dark, and broody!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and grunted.

Shikamaru sighed heavily and shook his head. "Aw man, this is just so troublesome. I just want to be at home sleeping or playing a nice, quiet game of shogi. Why did I let you guys drag me out here? Why did I decide to get married?"

If Naruto didn't know better, he'd swear he heard a hint a panic in Shikamaru's voice. He put his hand on his friends shoulder and said, "You'll be fine, Shiho is a nice girl. Marriage requires commitment so I don't think you'll have any problems."

"Of course, so does insanity," added Sai with an odd smile.

"What?" replied the both of them.

"Insanity requires commitment."

"Is he kidding?" asked Shikamaru as he studied Sai uncertainly.

"I have no idea," admitted Naruto, shaking his head. "So is it true that your dad actually was the one that set you two up?"

"Yeah, in a way. Before he was deployed to the front he left a long list of instructions. It's a bother, but he knew what he was talking about. He knew that a lot of people would die and that I should help carry on the Nara name as the heir." Shikamaru pulled a pack of cigarettes from his vest pocket and took out one. Lighting it, he took a deep drag and blew out a cloud of smoke before continuing. "He said that if anything happened to Yasuko, the woman I was originally betrothed to, then I should consider Shiho as a wife because of her intelligence."

Wide-eyed, Naruto questioned, "Betrothed? People actually do that?"

"Jeeze, you idiot. You're going to be the next Hokage, you should know about these things. All the clan heirs are matched… me, Chouji, Kiba, Hinata…"

"Hinata?" asked Sasuke.

"I don't know. That's just what I..."

Naruto shook his head and interrupted, "Wait, wait, wait - and you're all okay with that? Really?"

Chouji shrugged. "It's just how things are done, Naruto. We have to carry on our secret clan techniques or bloodline limits."

"So you can't marry who you want?"

"No," sighed Shikamaru heavily, "That's not what he's saying at all. I am marrying Shiho and she's not a Nara. She doesn't come from a clan at all. What he's saying is that you just can't mix intermix between the clans. It just isn't done."

"But what if…" Naruto's whole thought process was completely derailed as several women walked into the bar. Pink hair captured his attention followed by a very short, red skirt. A very, very short, red skirt.

He barely heard Kiba shout, "The bridal party has arrived" before he was on his feet and standing next to her.

He inhaled the pleasant scent surrounding her and whispered to himself, "Sakura."

**~o~O~o~**

She felt his presence and turned. Smiling, she turned to greet him, but just as she opened her mouth, a beautiful blue haired girl with legs longer than Sakura was tall threw her arms around him and squealed. She pulled his head down and began kissing him.

His arms went around the girl's impossibly narrow waist, and a sharp pain sliced through Sakura's stomach.

"We shouldn't be here," she said loudly and then grabbing Shiho's arm, added, "It's bad luck to see the groom this close to the wedding."

"But I thought it was only supposed to be the night before…"

"And at bridal showers," muttered Sakura as she dragged her towards the door.

"I didn't know that," said Hinata as she scurried after them.

Breaking away from the girl clinging to him, Naruto shouted, "Sakura, wait…"

He slumped his shoulders in disappointment as the door swung shut.

_Damn._

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Three girls slowly staggered up the stairs after a night on the town. While Sakura didn't know Shiho all that well, she was fast becoming a good friend. "She's so perfect for Shika, huh?" giggled Sakura. "Can you just picture how smart their babies are going to be?"

"Um hmm," agreed Ino, "Just as long as they aren't as lazy as their daddy."

Hinata just giggled and made her way very unsteadily up the stairs. She stopped every few seconds to blow the wisps of hair from her eyes.

"Ino, you're my best friend, you know that right? I love you as much as I do my teammates. You're so beautiful too. You know that, right?" Sakura said stridently, hanging on to her for dear life as they tripped up the endless flight of stairs.

"Yes, Sakura, you're my best friend too and yes I am beautiful. Thank you for telling me something I already know!," she slurred. With her long blonde hair and large breasts, Ino tended to know exactly how everyone thought of her… especially with the men staring at her all night in lust.

Hinata giggled and Sakura threw her arms over her, hugging her close.

"And you, Hinata, you're my friend too. And you're so sweet and itty-bitty! I bet you could fit in my purse." She giggled again as she tried to find the bag hanging off her shoulder.

"We p-probably shouldn't have d-d-drank so much," Hinata muttered as she dragged them up the last few steps.

"I didn't drink that much. I only had two," Ino stated and she held up both hands. She let her arms drop limply before dropping her purse on the floor and pulling her shirt off.

"Hold on there, Ino-pig! You might not want strip out here in the hallway of our apartment. Although, I'm sure the neighbors might not mind all that much." Sakura finally located the keys hiding in her purse and somehow managed to open the door after several unsuccessful attempts at putting the key in the lock. Ino threw herself at the pink-haired girl and hugged her so tight, Sakura could barely breathe. Sakura gently disentangled her and stepped into their living room.

"You reek of sake and cigarette smoke, Ino. Get off me." She giggled as she tried to keep herself upright. It didn't work. Sakura found herself on the floor with no idea how she ended up there. Ino and Hinata helped her up and they staggered towards the bedrooms. Sakura caught sight of Hachiko lying on the couch with disapproval written all over his furry face.

How a cat can show disapproval was a mystery to Sakura, but she saw it there all the same.

"It's the big, fat kitty-witty. How is Ino's pretty kitty?" she sang out.

"How many times do I have to tell you," huffed Ino, "That's not my cat. I brought him in to heal him. But you were the one who wanted to keep him."

The cat gave them a look of haughty condemnation and stalked off to the other room, twitching his tail scornfully at them. "Snob!" shouted Sakura as she pertly stuck her tongue out at him and giggled again. "Where's my bedroom?" she demanded. "Where did you put my bedroom?"

"It's where it always is," said Ino in an amused tone. "Hinata, hic- it's too late for you to be wa-walking home alone so you can share my bed with me. That couch is the most uncom - hic- uncom - hic- uncomfortable thing in the world."

"Oh my god… Why is the room moving?" She grabbed the corner of the wall and held on tight. "What happened to our apartment? Is there an earthquake? Lady Tsunade will not be happy with us if someone broke the place! We'll never find another one so close to the hospital," Sakura cried, moaning as she watched the room move. "Someone please make it stop, it's spinning now!"

"R-Really, it's all going to be alright, Sakura. I swear the r-r-room isn't spinning. Just calm down." Hinata, not wanting to seem mean, stifled a laugh, steered her towards the bed, and helped her lay down. She sat next to her and took off her heels.

"And that thumping sound, where is that thumping coming from?" Sakura whispered into Hinata's breasts, inhaling deeply and praising enticing scent.

"Sakura, now you're just hearing things. Jeeze, how much did you have to drink anyways?" Ino snorted from the doorway. She hiccupped a few more times and then giggled.

Hinata stilled and then looked at the wall behind Sakura's headboard in curiosity. She said timidly, "I think I just h-heard something too. Listen, c-can you hear it t-too?"

Ino blinked and then cocked her head, and all three of them listened intently. They all jumped a little as they heard a thump, and then an instantly recognizable moan.

"Ladies, just lay back and make yourselves comfortable. You are about to be highly entertained," Sakura stated smugly.

Ino and Hinata's eyes grew wide, but they stayed quiet.

Sakura's mind wandered. Who would it be this time. Whiskas apparently went back to the sand village, so maybe it would be Spanky again. Hachiko must have heard the noise as well because he sauntered into the room and leaped up on the bed. He stared at the wall with intense concentration.

The three girls and the cat didn't have to wait that long.

"Oh, God."

Thump, thump.

"Oh, God."

Hinata and Ino's eyes slid over to Sakura. Her head was down and she was halfheartedly petting the cat.

The pink haired girl just shrugged her shoulders while Hachiko gave a mournful mew.

Ino gasped in disbelief, "Is that what I think it is? Are they really doing it?"

Sakura frowned and gave a small nod. She was trying hard to not be obvious as she listened closely at the sounds coming through the wall. The girl's voice was one she didn't think she'd heard before. She prayed it wouldn't be one she would recognize.

"Mmm, baby —" giggle "— right —" giggle "— there!" giggle.

_Huh?_

"Yes, yes —" laugh, giggle, laugh "— yes! Fuck, fuck —" giggle hee haw "— fuck, yes!"

What the…? Was she...? She was laughing and… giggling?

The three kunoichi sat on Sakura's bed listening with increasingly wider and wider eyes. They couldn't help themselves; the sounds coming from Naruto's room were contagious. Soon they began to quietly let little own giggles escape.

"Are we really hearing this?" Ino whispered again in incredulity. "How many times has he done this?"

"I told you that he was a manwhore, Pig," Sakura mumbled, her pleasant drunken buzz quickly vanishing as she listened.

Hinata turned a little white. Knowing who lived next door, she timidly asked, "Who is that?"

"It's that idiot, Naruto," growled Sakura. Feeling guilty when she suddenly remembered that Hinata might still have feelings for him, she glanced at her in concern. She was surprised to see a look of relief on the Hyuga girl's face.

Ino poked Sakura to get her attention and then loudly asked, "Do you hear them every night? I would go nuts if I had to hear some girl giggling like that all the time."

"Thank god no. I've never heard this woman before. First it was the bad girl, Spanky that needed to be disciplined …"

"Disciplined?"

"Spanked, and then last night it was Whiskas…"

"Whiskas?" Ino interrupted.

Sakura sighed and explained impatiently, "Yes, Whiskas, that's the girl who meows when he makes her… well, you know," Sakura said, while distractedly plucking the stray cat hairs off her bedspread.

"No I don't know, thanks to Sai," muttered Ino.

"Ino, you're d-d-drunk. I'm sure h-he only scared off that guy to p-protect you," murmured Hinata soothingly.

"He told the whole damn bar that I used to be a man!" shouted Ino in outrage. She slapped her hand over her mouth again as she heard another thump. "I don't even know why he was there," she hissed. "I'll bet he followed us to that last bar just so he could humiliate me!"

"That doesn't really sound like something he would do," mumbled Sakura.

Ino and Hinata jumped again when the volume of the woman's screams and giggles really increased.

"Oh, God that's…that's —" hahahaha "— so good!"

Ino gaped at Sakura. "Did I hear that right? Did you just say that Naruto had a girl making cat noises?"

"Do we really have to keep talking about this. Obviously, that idiot teammate of mine is a huge perv…"

"I don't really understand why this one is laughing. I thought sex was all serious and, well, I don't know, I just don't get it."

Hinata quietly said, "It's kind of sweet to know that she's having so much fun with Naruto-kun."

Ino and Sakura ignored the comment. Ino patted her arm consolingly and whispered, "You should talk to him if it bothers you so much." At Sakura's horrified look, she joked, "Well you have to admit that his stamina is pretty impressive. I can tell whenever Chouji and his wife had sex because of his cheerful attitude the next day. He's like that only twice a week, max - thankfully. You have no idea how disturbing it is to know how often he has sex."

"Not only is it disturbing, but it's some kind of disgusting too is what it is. I'm so sick of not getting enough sleep at night!"

Sakura heard the deep groan coming from the bedroom next to hers and exclaimed, "Oh no, here it comes…"

"Here what comes?" Ino began to say and Sakura just shook her head.

"You'll see," she said as he began to finally finish.

The thumps got louder and although she had removed everything from the shelf above her bed, the items on Sakura's other shelves began to rattle and wobble. The giggler got louder as did Naruto.

She could hear Naruto thick groans and unfortunately knew what that meant. He was about to have an orgasim. The girls was louder than him though.

"Oh —" giggle "— that's —" giggle "— it —" giggle "— don't —" giggle "— stop —" giggle "— don't —" giggle "— stop —" giggle "— oh —" giggle-snort "— God —" giggle-giggle snort-snort "— don't —" giggle "— stop!" giggle.

_"Oh god, please stop, please,"_ Sakura thought.

It finally grew quiet after one more slam of the headboard and one last giggle from the mystery girl.

Ino and Hinata looked at each other and then Ino said, "Oh."

"My," added Hinata.

"God," they said together and looked at Sakura.

"And that's why I've been so tired," said the blushing pinkette as she exhaled noisily.

_Giggler, I think I hate you most of all…_

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

This weeks recommendation is **Let's Get Married **by **luvtoshi**. It was supposed to be a simple solution to their immediate problems. But maybe they took more than they can chew? Basically it's just as the title suggests. Love it! You all should read it if you haven't already.

P.S.

I got 13 reviews on each of the first three chapters - totally bad luck! Someone please fix it before I'm cursed (sad puppy eyes!) lol

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	5. Little White Lies

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

* * *

**AN:**

Well, I did rate this fic as M for a reason - so anyone that does not enjoy lemons - no matter how slight - RUN!

**AZFAERYDUST**

* * *

**Chapter Five:  
__****Little White Lies**

_Out of the shadow and into the sun  
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done  
Oh, there is beauty and surely there is pain  
But we must endure it to live again  
~Iron Maiden~_

Sakura continued splashing paint across the newly built jonin station as she ignored the man who had been 'volunteered' to work alongside her. Every shinobi and civilian in Konoha seemed to be out and about that morning helping bring the village back to its former glory. She'd been doing this for two hours, hoping that the hard work and the sun would exhaust her and dull some of her anger, but so far it hadn't. She was still furious about not getting the mission to the Land of Ogres.

"I finished bringing everything inside," said Sasuke as he passed by grabbing a water bottle. He leaned against the fence and took a drink. He stared at her waiting for a response. When she didn't, he asked, "So how long do you intend on being so grumpy?"

With an annoyed little sigh she stopped painting and turned around. She took the large water bottle from Sasuke, took a long sip, and couldn't help but let out a little moan as the cool liquid slipped down her parched throat. Damn, why did she have to drink so much last night?

"I'm not grumpy," she sternly admonished. "You're the grumpy one as usual."

"Tch, whatever. Are we done yet?" he asked in a bored voice.

After taking one last healthy sip she sighed heavily and handed him a paint brush. With a frown he took it, sending her a questioning look.

"Not yet," she said, gesturing regally towards the building, "**_We_** still have to paint the other side."

Frowning mightily and about to refuse, he noted her glower. Without a word he stepped forward and dipped the brush into the paint bucket. After an hour of working silently, Sasuke cleared his throat. "You want to tell me what he did to piss you off this much or are you going to continue to sulk?"

"Who?" she asked, playing stupid since she didn't feel like talking about the big jerk that screwed her over. She pretended to study the section of wall she'd just painted to avoid looking at the Uchiha. "And I'm not sulking."

"You know who."

"If you're speaking of your roommate then you should know that he's dead to me," she said with a sniff as she dipped her brush in the paint bucket focused on her work.

"Hmm," he said as though he didn't quite believe her.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, perhaps painting a little more haphazardly than what she should.

"I didn't say anything."

"I know you Sasuke Uchiha. I know what every grunt, every eye roll, and every little smirk means."

"Tch, fine… It means exactly what it sounded like," he said, pausing in his work to use his arm to wipe sweat off his face.

"Meaning...," she prompted, feeling her annoyance with the man renew. If he kept this up she was going to really tell him where he could go.

The heat must have gotten the better of him because in his desire to _not_ talk about whatever the hell was going on, he said, "You should know by now that by tomorrow night you'll forgive the Dobe for lying about that mission and the two of you will be back to... to... to... oh... shit." Sasuke's words trailed off when he looked up and met her furious glare.

"What the hell are you talking about, Sasuke Uchiha?" she demanded, gripping the paint brush in her hand tightly as she ran his words through her head again.

"Tch, what are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, trying to backtrack as he dropped the brush and stepped back out of arm's reach.

"He lied to me? Naruto actually lied to me?" she asked, stepping in front of him and blocking his exit. "Why?"

"You'd really have to ask Naruto about that," he said, shifting a bit nervously. He could practically see the chakra forming around her fists and while he knew he could take her in a fight, it would come at a very painful price.

"I'm asking you," she said, tossing the brush away so that she could cross her arms over her chest to intensify the effect of the glare.

I-I don't think I should say," he said, licking his lips as he moved to step around her only to find his exit cut off.

"You can."

An obstinate look entered his eyes and he refused. "I won't."

"I'll cry," she threatened, knowing she just might have to do the unthinkable and shed a few tears to make him confess. If there was one thing Sasuke hated more than anything, it was an over-emotional woman.

He narrowed his eyes on her. "You wouldn't."

Oh, but she would. Her bottom lip wasn't quivering ten seconds before Sasuke broke down and confessed. Fifteen minutes later she was sitting on the steps, sipping from another water bottle and contemplating all the ways she would kill him.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

She was going to be calm and rational. She was going to state her case in a professional manner. She was going to…

"YOU!" shouted Sakura as she caught sight of Naruto heading up the stairs to his apartment. Sasuke must have warned him because he did the only smart thing he could think of… he immediately tried to rush into his apartment.

He was fast, but righteous fury made her faster. She tackled him to the ground and sat on his chest. Green eyes ablaze, she demanded, "I want to go on that…"

Naruto's eyes widened at her position on top of him and he flushed, but still he was shaking his head before she even finished. "No."

Her brows snapped together. "What do you mean no?"

"You're needed here."

"But…"

"I-I, I'm sorry Sakura-chan, but I still say no. You haven't been yourself lately. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You're exhausted. You've been working way too much lately and I can't let you travel across the nation in your condition."

She couldn't believe it - he actually said no to her. She felt confused and a little hurt, but mostly she was angry… really, really angry. "Now you listen here, mister," Sakura gritted out, "The only reason why I'm so exhausted looking is because of you! My room is right next to yours you know. Every single damn night I have been forced to listen to you trying to send some poor girl's head through my bedroom wall with the power of your dick alone!"

Naruto turned bright red. "Um…you heard that?" he asked in a very small voice.

Sakura leaned in closer and carefully enunciated each word in a low hiss. "Every spank. Every meow. Every giggle."

"Oh god," he moaned and covered his face. He slowly lowered his hand and, looking away from her, said, "The answer is still no."

She jerked upright, eliciting a small groan from the man under her. Her hands landed on her hips as she glared at him. Not even pausing to wonder why he made that noise, she demanded, "Why are you being so stubborn?"

"It's too dangerous."

"Damn it." She leaned forward, poking a finger into the center of his chest, too infuriated to be professional. She was so mad her forehead throbbed. "I'm sorry if it offends your male pride that I'm not a helpless woman who needs a big strong man to take care of me, but this is who I am. I'm a Kunoichi, and that means I'm stronger and I'm faster and I'm better trained than ninety-nine percent…"

He was moving before she could react, grabbing her upper arms in a punishing grip and flipping her over so that he was now on top.

"This has nothing to do with my pride!" he shouted.

She made a sound of disbelief. "Really?

"Really." His glare seared over her reddened face. "Okay I'm man enough to occasionally want to flex my muscles just to prove I have them, but I would never want you to be any less, Sakura-chan."

Sakura stilled, savoring the feel of his warm hands against her skin. It was then that she finally realized the position they were in. She could feel every inch of his body pressed against hers. It didn't matter that he held her in anger. She was so hungry for his touch she would take whenever she can get.

Pathetic.

"What does that mean?" she demanded, trying to ignore the rush of pleasure.

"It's your power and your beauty and your stubborn independence that makes you who you are," he said, as if the words were being yanked from him. "I would never change that. Not ever."

His words touched the vulnerable place deep inside her, but Sakura fiercely refused to be distracted. "But I…"

"No and that's final."

"Fine," she growled out reluctantly, "just get off me now."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

That evening Naruto just couldn't sleep. He had to make things right with Sakura. It was just an abandoned hideout. The possibility that she could get hurt was minimal, plus Sai would be with her. He knew that he had to trust in her.

She wasn't at her apartment, which didn't surprise him. He found her in her office at the hospital. Knocking softly, he quietly asked if he could come in.

Bent over her paperwork, Naruto smiled. She looked so pretty. He let out a little sigh and said to her softly, "Please forgive me Sakura-chan. I just wanted to keep you safe."

Green eyes slowly narrowed. Naruto wasn't at all certain that was a good sign.

"You think I can't protect myself?" Sakura demanded.

He suddenly felt as if he had fallen into a hole he didn't even recall digging. "You are a medical kunoichi. I think you would sacrifice yourself before harming another," he warily admitted.

"I don't need a kunai or shuriken to defeat a shinobi." Without warning, she stood up, stepped over to him, and placed her hands flat against Naruto's chest. He hissed sharply as she boldly began to explore his clenched muscles. "There are all sorts of weapons that are far more fearsome."

"Sakura...?" His voice choked off as she tore his shirt open and leaned forward to put her tongue over his hardened nipple.

"Yes?"

His arms whipped around her and he pressed her fully against his aroused body.

She had made her point. He was well and truly defeated by this tiny slip of a woman. He didn't understand what was going on and he couldn't care less.

"Yeah, those really are dangerous weapons." His arms tightened. "But I would hope I'm the only shinobi you would use them on."

She chuckled at his fierce tone. "You're the only one I've ever wanted to use them on. And since all the other men around here know what you are capable of, I think I can safely make that promise."

Naruto was shocked by the unexpected, dark motion that clenched his heart. Possession. There was no other word for it. _Not that he was jealous of the thought or anything…_

"Maybe I should tell you that I mean all shinobi, civilians, and anyone else who might look too."

She tilted her head to regard him with a searching gaze. "Oh really? That's very… inclusive."

"Yeah," he breathed, "completely and totally."

Her lips twitched, as if she had found something amusing in his unnerving reaction. But before he could protest, her head once again lowered and her lips where skimming over his chest.

"So you don't want me doing this…" Her fingers trailed tantalizingly down his stomach to the waistband of his pants. "Or this." With a tug she had the button opened and then pulled his zipper down. Naruto gave a strangled groan as her fingers softly curved around his hardness. "To any other man?" She stroked him from bottom to top.

Naruto buried his face and the sweet curve of her neck. "By god, you are lethal," he rasped, silently adding that he would kill any man she touched in such an intimate way. There didn't seem to be any need to trouble her with that thought.

"I did warn you," she breathed.

She had. But her warning hadn't included her lips brushing his nipples, his sternum, the small depression running between his abs, and then shockingly she was on our knees and her mouth closed on the tip of his erection.

His fingers threaded through her soft, pink hair as she impatiently tugged down his pants and her hands cupped him with a knee-buckling touch.

"Oh god."

Ignoring his strangled words, thank god, Sakura pulled him deeper into her mouth. His eyes turned red, closed and then his fangs fully extended at the feel of tongue tracing over the head of his erection.

Nothing had ever been meant to feel so good.

So damned good he was certain he could die in that moment with a smile on his lips.

Groaning as she squeezed and licked him with an enthusiasm that threatened to bring a swift end to his shocking pleasure, Naruto struggled to keep the climax at bay.

He had always claimed that danger made him feel truly alive, but it was nothing – nothing – compared to this. And he wanted it to last more than a handful of blissful strokes.

"Sakura…enough," he groaned, lowering himself until he was on his knees before her.

She smiled with small pleasure of the site of his extended fangs and animalistic eyes.

"You don't like?" she teased.

"I like too much," he breathed, his hands running down the curve of her back until he could grasp the bottom of her shirt. With one smooth motion he yanked it over her head. "Now, it's your turn."

He could hear her breath catch as he tugged free her bra and at last cupped the soft mounds of her breasts. Thank god he remembered how to breathe, he acknowledged as heat burst through his body. How can a man remember such stupid things when confronted with such beauty?

With tender care his lips brushed over the high peaks of her nipples, his fingers savoring the curve of her breasts. He had touched countless women before, but never had he been so intrigued by the texture of mere skin.

Just like warm silk he realized in fascination. Warm silk with a faint tingle of pulsing life that made his every instinct roar with need.

Perhaps sensing his odd bemusement, Sakura slid her hands up his bare arms to his shoulders. "Naruto," she questioned softly. "Is something wrong?"

He leaned his head down to press his forehead to hers. "Each moment you are near, I forget everything but you," he confessed in a husky tone. "If I could lock the doors and keep out the world for the rest of our lives I would, just so we could be alone."

Her fingers slid over his shoulders and down his back. "And that troubles you?"

He groaned, his lips skimming down her slender neck and rushing over her mouth. "Not nearly as much as it should."

Unwilling to brood on his strange obsession with this woman, Naruto claimed her mouth in a hungry kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips. In this moment he was ready and willing to forget about the world, and the responsibilities awaiting him outside the door. His duty would find him sooner or later.

He wanted it to be later.

Much, much later.

Cradling Sakura in his arms he propelled her backward, laying her on the matted floor next to her desk before covering her with his body. Her nails dug into his back as he kissed his way down the curve of her neck and lingered on the line of her collarbone.

"You taste so sweet," he murmured as he trailed his tongue down to the tip of her nipple. "Like spring."

Sakura moaned as she arched her backing silent invitation. "What does spring taste like," she demanded.

"Blossoms," he whispered, his tongue continuing to tease the hard nub, "and sunshine."

Her eyes squeezed shut at his insistent caresses. "Oh god."

"I've only started, Sakura," but he promised, his hands following the slender lines of her waist.

With a minimum of fuss he had her skirt undone. Pulling them downward he took them off, along with her sandals. Then; as long as he was down there, he nibbled the tender arch of her foot and sucked her toes into his mouth.

She gave a soft cry as he slowly meandered up her calf, pausing to tease the back of her knee. He hadn't lied. She did taste of blossoms. Sweet enough to cloud the mind of any man.

Dragging his tongue along the tempting skin of her inner thigh, Naruto shuttered with longing. This time was for Sakura, but soon he intended to return to this precise spot in taste her as only a Jinchuriki could.

Giving her the lightest of nips, he worked his way upward, spreading her legs to seek out her most sensitive flash.

"Naruto." Her fingers clenched in his hair as he stroked his tongue through the moist heat. "Oh…"

He smiled a she nearly pulled his hair out by its roots. The pain was a small price to pay for her husky moans of desire.

Dipping his tongue into her, Naruto pleasured her with a steady rhythm. Her hips writhed as her moans became breathless pants. She was close. He could taste it on his lips.

With a last, loving stroke Naruto pressed himself upward, claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss. Her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist as he lifted his hips and with one smooth thrust buried himself deep inside her.

They clutched at one another as the pleasure rolled over them in searing waves.

"You must truly be an angel," he breathed as he slowly pulled out of her to thrust back with a roll of his hips. "Because you have shown me heaven."

She gave a soft laugh at the corny line that was choked off with a groan as her back arched in building excitement.

Spreading kisses over her beautiful face, he pumped himself into her heat. This _was_ heaven. And she was his angel. He buried his face in the curve of her neck. Continuing his relentless pace, he waited for her to tense beneath him.

It was when she gave a soft cry of relief that he allowed his fangs to slip into her skin and he sucked in the very essence of her. With one last thrust he buried himself as deeply as he could reach and allowed his climax to slam into her electric force.

Damn.

He finally felt complete.

"Wow, I think I feel the earth moving."

"It is moving! Look." Wide eyed and breathless, she pointed at the other side of the room. Wind was causing pictures on the wall to move and the bed was lifted off the floor. It slammed down in a loud thump, jarring them both. And then… he woke up.

Damn.

Naruto sat up in shock and looked around. The whole room was in shambles. He put his head in his hands and slowly, he ran his tongue along his teeth until he felt the pointed canines. "What the hell?" he whispered and then jumped when he heard banging on his front door.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Sakura was dreaming when the first thump woke her. "Not again," she said through gritted teeth. "This is getting ridiculous!"

She didn't hear any meows, giggles, or spanks but she could hear his low moans. First she felt embarrassment and then fury took over again. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time to confront him.

Unmindful of the time, she threw back the covers, and leapt to her feet. She was about to send her fist crashing through the wall, but stopped herself in time. Instead she jumped down and stomped out of her room in a rage. She flung open the front door with a crash and began to pound on his door. People in the other apartments began to open their doors to see what the hell was going on, but Sakura ignored them all.

She pounded on the door, every second getting harder and harder. She didn't care that she heard the wood start to crack or that splinters were getting under her skin. All that mattered was that he come out so that she could give him a lesson to remember.

She could hear someone coming towards the door and then the rasp of the deadbolt being unlocked, but still she didn't stop. She screamed, "Open this door immediately Naruto Uzumaki or I'll break it down!" All the lost hours of sleep and that business with the mission had finally gotten to her and she'd had enough.

"I'm trying, Sakura-chan, I'm trying. Give me a second," she heard Naruto say.

The door was quickly opened by Naruto. She stared for a moment, not seeing Sasuke and Sai watching her curiously. Well, Sai was looking her curiously - Sasuke; on the other hand, had a big knowing smirk on his face, which luckily for him, she didn't see.

With just his hall light on, Naruto was dimly illuminated, It was enough to see that he stood there wearing only a pair of boxers and a confused expression on his face. "What's wrong? Is there an emergency? Did something happen? Is the village under attack?"

Frozen in place, Sakura raged at herself inwardly to move, to punch him, to tell him off… to not… to not look at him…Damn she was staring. _SAY SOMETHING! DO SOMETHING, SAKURA HARUNO!_

Insteadshe found herself mesmerized as her eyes wandered over his slick, slightly sweaty physique. Her hand was still fisted in the air and her was pounding louder than her fist had second earlier. She swore to herself that everyone could probably hear it. Somehow she managed to drag her eyes away from that beautiful sight - a sight which hadn't bothered her at all last year…

Finally she understood what it meant to be in Hinata's shoes. She couldn't respond as he continued to ask her questions. Her eyes lowered even further. _Oh god, he did have another girl in there, I knew it! _

She had to be blind not to notice the huge tent in his boxers…

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

The day dragged on in a haze for the blond. While he had so many dreams about her, that one was just so real. And then when she was at his door wearing the tiniest red nighty, it took all his self-control not to grab her and prove it was real. He desperately wished it was, but was confused by his reaction. That had never happened before, but earlier he had been too busy with his work at the orphanage and now the wedding to talk to Kurama.

_Was the furball taking over?_

As he entered the beautifully decorated garden that Shikamaru and Shiho chose for their wedding, somehow he was not all that surprised to see Ino standing there beside Lee and Tenten.

"She went and got permission from Lady Tsunade, didn't she?" he asked with a huge disappointed sigh.

He felt like an idiot… Really, he should have known better.

"Of course," replied Ino cheerfully. "Wasn't that great of her! I mean Shika is practically a brother to me so it's only right that I be here for his wedding."

"Yeah… that's… great of her…"

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter and especially the previous chapters! I know it's silly to be superstitious - but hey - I'm not crazy - my mother had me tested!

I also wanted to thank the guests that I couldn't respond to personally - Q-e17, kl and Gamma89 - thanks a lot!

This week's Naruto/Sakura recommendation is not exactly a great story because it unfortunately contains an overabundance of spelling errors. Still - it is very interesting and creative and has stuck in my mind for a very long time. I am actually rereading right now. It's called** Animals****Unleashed **by **wilkins75:** With the defeat of the Akatsuki, peace seemed to have returned to the world but an unknown virus strikes. Now a virus that turns people into half animals is spreading and the uninfected are on the run from the infected. (Seriously, it's a pretty cool story!)

Lastly, I wanted to thank **Konoha's Crimson Fox**, who made me realize that my summary just didn't adequately describe this story and **imaginativefool** for rewriting it for me!

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	6. What are Friends for?

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered! Hopefully this chapter meets with everyone's approval - I agonized over it for quite a while. Thanks to **imaginativefool** for going over it with me!

* * *

**Chapter Six:_  
What are Friends for?_**

_And the shadow of the day__  
__Will embrace the world in grey__  
__And the sun will set for you__  
__~Linkin Park~_

"You want to talk about it?" Sasuke asked.

"Nope."

"Not that I really care, but it would probably help to talk about it," Sasuke mused.

Naruto turned his glare on his teammate. "Oh? Really? Then I guess you'd like to get a few things off your chest."

The scowl Sasuke sent his way was answer enough. He mumbled something before turning his attention back to the scroll he was studying. Good. He didn't want to talk about Sakura anymore than Sasuke wanted to talk about any of his problems. As long as Sasuke kept his ass close by so that he could manipulate the bastard into talking to Sakura for him when she got back then he didn't care if his roommate was sulking or pissed. He had his own shit to deal with and didn't...

"She's not Sakura," Sasuke said softly, grabbing his attention in a big way.

"What?" he asked, frowning at his friend.

"I ended things with that last woman because she's not Sakura," Sasuke admitted.

"Oh, I see," Naruto said slowly as his brain struggled to comprehend what Sasuke said and when it did he found himself on top of Sasuke and beating the shit out of him.

"Stop!" Sasuke snapped. He had to activate his sharingan just to avoid the fast and furious punches the blond inflicted upon him.

But Naruto couldn't stop… wouldn't. He knew Sasuke would be the better man for Sakura and that he should just step back and wish him well, but jealousy won over common sense and currently had him beating the hell out of his best friend.

The fight quickly turned into a wrestling match with Naruto trying to get a few more shots at his roommate while Sasuke did his best to shove Naruto off and get away. Kiba; who had been invited over to discuss the orphanage plan, walked into the apartment at the same moment Naruto broke a lamp. He glanced curiously around at the damage - the fist-sized hole in the wall, the broken table, and bloodied combatants. "I'll come back later," he said, hastily shutting the door.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sasuke demanded as he finally managed to get in an elbow shot to Naruto's gut to get him off.

"You want Sakura," Naruto said, moving to throttle the bastard.

Sasuke's horrified look gave him pause. "I don't want Sakura!" he snapped, sounding disgusted and looking close to vomiting at the very idea.

"What the hell is wrong with Sakura?" he demanded, pissed at that look of revulsion on Sasuke's face.

"She's my teammate, idiot! I have never felt that way about her. Now get the hell off of me!" Sasuke said, shoving him away so that he could get to his feet.

Naruto got to his own feet, noticing the blood dripping from his nose for the first time. Well, it looked as though Sasuke got in a few shots. Thankfully the man hadn't broken his nose, but it still stung like a bitch.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sasuke demanded as he wiped blood off his lip with the back of his hand.

"What's yours?" Naruto demanded right back.

"You are!" Sasuke snapped, looking ready to leap at him. "What did I do?"

"Sakura!" Sasuke shot back, shoving a frustrated hand through his hair as he started pacing Naruto's small living room.

"What about her?" Naruto asked, wondering if Sasuke knew what he had been feeling about her.

"You're a fucking idiot," Sasuke practically snarled.

"You want to explain that?" Naruto bit out tightly as he took an aggressive step towards his friend. Between the stresses of learning the Hokage duties, the argument with Sakura and having her gone for nearly two weeks without any word, he was in no mood for any more bullshit.

"You have a woman who is beyond perfect for you, loves you, and who would walk on glass for you and you don't even see it," Sasuke spat out.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Naruto lied, wishing like hell they weren't having this conversation.

"Bullshit!" Sasuke snapped, getting into his face. "You love her. I know you do and she loves you. I've seen the way you look at her. I know that the two of you have a connection that anyone would kill for," he said before muttering, "I would kill to have a woman who made me feel the way Sakura makes you feel."

"How exactly do you think you think she makes me feel?" Naruto asked, wondering how the hell they ended up here. He didn't want to have this conversation and was more than willing to go back to trading punches to avoid it.

"Whole," Sasuke said, hitting the nail on the head and damn near making him stumble.

That's exactly how she made him feel. When she was around he felt complete, happy and at peace and when she wasn't around he felt lost. He hated being away from her and hated knowing that it was something that he would have to get used to.

"I want what you're refusing to see," Sasuke explained. "I want a woman that makes me feel complete, makes me happy and someone I couldn't imagine living without."

"We're just friends," Naruto said lamely as he tried to ignore the ache in his chest. He missed her, wanted her and he was too afraid to go for it. That was the biggest kicker for him. He faced the ten-tailed bijū, Madara, possibly the end of the shinobi world and yet this one female had him running like a scared little kid.

"Bullshit! She's everything to you and you damn well know it. While I would kill to have my own Sakura you're throwing yours aside like it's nothing. What the hell are you going to do when she finds someone else? You don't think that will kill you to watch her with another man, knowing it could have been you?"

"Yes!" Naruto roared. "It will fucking kill me to watch her with another man. Are you fucking happy?" he demanded, ignoring the look of pity on his friend's face as he scrubbed his hands down his face. "I'm not good enough for her. I wouldn't have the first clue about how to treat her. She's not like those girls I have sex with… she's… well… she's Sakura."

"What the hell are you talking about? No one would ever treat her better and we both know it."

Naruto let out a humorless laugh at that. "Really? Whatever gave you that idea? I sure as hell hope it's not based on how I treated all my old girls because we both know that's exactly how it will be with Sakura. I'll grow bored and it will be over and I'll lose her forever."

"So you claim that you're avoiding being with her because of your past? Is that really what you expect me to believe?" Sasuke asked, looking at a loss for words when Naruto nodded firmly. He shook his head in disbelief. "You really are a fucking idiot. Where's your nindo now? I thought you vowed to never give up."

Naruto's mouth dropped open, ready to argue some more and then snapped shut as he considered his friend's words. Sasuke had been in this village for a year now under close scrutiny and suspicion and yet he never wavered in his belief that this was where he belonged. He was through with letting the past control him. Sasuke wasn't giving up.

_If that Teme won't give up then why the hell should I? _Naruto's signature look of determination molded his face.

"So what are you going to do?" asked Sasuke rather smugly… the bastard!

His mind raced through endless possibilities and suddenly, the dissatisfaction and general malaise that he had been feeling lately finally lifted. He felt free. And now he knew exactly what to do. He had a mission…

"Baa-chan asked me to go on a mission to escort one of the Daimyō's chief counselors here in a couple of weeks for his yearly visit. She said that a medic always goes as well as a combat shinobi. She did suggest that I choose Sakura to go with me. Maybe she was right after all… maybe Sakura and I do need some alone time. The old man has his own retinue of guards and the journey will be slow so we would get lots of time together."

"You might want to drop the harem first."

"It's not like that," defended Naruto. He frowned as he thought back on Sakura's words to him and then cringed. God, he couldn't believe she actually heard him. He quickly agreed, "Yeah, I guess you probably have a point there."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

"OH, GOD."

Thump.

"Oh, God."

Thump, thump.

Naruto possessively cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs over the fabric covering her nipples. He squeezed them slightly and then moved the fabric down. His mouth trailed hot wet kisses down the column of her neck. Grazing her here and there with his teeth. He nipped her along the way, just a little bite to build the excitement. At last his mouth covered her nipple and suckled it. The girl's body ached as though it was on fire. His hands skimmed over her skin, raising goose bumps.

His actions became rougher and more insistent; grinding his hips into hers and pressing his erection into her core. She began to moan with the pleasure. He lifted her up and pressed her harder to him. She clutched him tight against her body, wrapping her hands around his muscled arm and her legs around his waist in a silent plea for more.

Naruto moved to her neck and kissed it, leaving a small red mark stamped upon it. He raised his head and looked at it smugly. "All mine," he said possessively right before he covered her mouth with his. The kiss was hot and ravenous leaving them both gasping for air.

She flung her hands back and grabbed the headboard as all the sensations overwhelmed her. She had never gone this far with a man before and now couldn't understand what she'd been waiting for. His hand drifted lower, down into her wet panties.

"Oh God, Naruto!" she screamed…

…and then woke up with her hands tightly grasping the headboard and her body throbbing in anticipation.

Sakura moaned as she hastily brought her hands down to her side in tightly clenched fists. She laid there, breathing raggedly, covered in sweat, and panting for several minutes until she could pull herself together. After turning on the bedside lamp, she could clearly see the damage done to the headboard from where her hands had been.

Damn him…

_"This is going to be a long day,"_ thought Sakura as she searched through her medical supplies for the tweezers.

"Stupid splinters…" she muttered under her breath. She glared at the headboard and snarled, "Stupid, cheap bed!"

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Sakura and Sai glanced at each other in disbelief. Slowly, they turned around and sure enough there was the third member of their team, a medic named Daichi vomiting all over a dead bush.

Sai shook his head sadly as Sakura asked on a heavy, drawn out sigh, "Why must you embarrass us? At least aim for the man on the ground."

There were three of them lying there in various stages of pain; men who thought they had an easy opportunity to attack a hapless trio of travelers. They had no idea what they were up against. Sai and Sakura took them down before Daichi could even blink.

He wasn't a combat medic. In fact, this was the first time he had even left Konoha. A decision he was regretting even now. He wiped a shaking hand across his mouth, bowed low to Sakura, and then resumed his work of tying the thugs up.

Sai dragged his eyes away from the fascinatingly awkward medic and asked, "Are you being cranky because you are shedding your uterine lining?"

"What?!" Sakura's head whipped around to pin Sai with a look of shock and disbelief. Every time she thought he couldn't get any worse - he would inevitably prove her wrong.

"I asked if you are cranky because…"

"I know what you said," she snapped, "And that's none of your business."

"We are teammates so I think that knowledge of your cycle is my business."

Sakura's forehead began to throb rather painfully at this point. She glanced over at the third member of their squad. He wouldn't look at her, but his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. She growled, "One word out of you mister and you'll be on bedpan duty for the rest of the year."

Sakura sighed to herself. The mission had been going on this way for the past week. Everything went well, as long as you discounted the traps Daichi stumbled over by mistake or the spoiled rations caused by a bad sealing jutsu, or having to deal with Sai's weirdness every day, and now this ambush by a gang of inept thugs …

Yup, she was glad to be on her way home. She missed her apartment, she missed her job at the hospital, she missed… _"Yeah,"_ she mentally sighed, _"I miss Naruto."_

"You are thinking about him again, aren't you?"

"What… thinking about who?"

"Naruto."

"No, of course not… why would I be thinking of him?" she asked quickly. "I mean he was my teammate, so of course I miss him even though I'm still mad at him. I miss Sasuke too. That doesn't mean anything."

"If you do not care for him, then why are you sad?" he murmured softly.

She stiffened at his unwelcome perception. "What makes you think that it makes me feel sad?"

He leaned closer, his eyes strangely hypnotic. "I can feel your sadness. It embraces you like an old friend."

Feeling very uncomfortable, Sakura tried to change the subject. "Well, I don't miss him. I miss my bed. So what about you and Ino?"

"What about us?" he asked.

"What! Oh come on, you two have been going back and forth like little children. You spit in her tea last week. And what was that at the bar?"

"Well, she put stubble from her shaving razor into my rice ball. I read that it is an honor to share a part of one's body with another, hence the saliva."

"Are you trying to tell me that you did that just to be nice? Oh Sai… you really need help."

"Perhaps I do, but that doesn't pertain to the subject at hand…"

"No, you tell me about the bar."

Sai shrugged indifferently. "I overheard that man talking about her when your group arrived at Shikamaru's celebration. When he followed you all out, I did as well to ensure your safety. I only interfered due to the fact that Ino Yamanaka had imbibed in far too much alcohol to make any sound rational decisions."

"Why do all men seem to think they need to rescue a woman?" asked Sakura, getting all worked up. She stood up and began pacing the campsite, her mind not really on the subject at hand but the dream from last night. It was all just so complicated and perplexing and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got. She gritted her teeth and stomped back to the man who was now leaning nonchalantly against a rock. "Tell, me, hmm?"

"Well I did not mean to…"

"We kunoichi are completely capable of rescuing our own damn selves!" she interrupted hotly, "I - We have trained our whole lives to become the kunoichi we are. I trained under Lady Tsunade - one of the legendary three. I certainly don't need you or any other man coming to my rescue like I'm useless little girl that can't even tell the man she loves how she feels. You got that, Sai? If not, I can tattoo it on your body with my fists if you want!"

Sai gave her a bland look and asked, "Are you speaking to me? Because if you are, then I am afraid I am rather disinclined to acquiesce with your request."

"What?"

"That means no. I do not wish for you to tattoo anything on my body, especially given your current state of mind." Sai's dark eyes studied her for a moment before he asked, "Does this have any relation to the events that occurred in your quarters last night?"

"What are you talking about Sai?"

"Well, you were quite vocal early this morning…"

"Vocal? What are you talking about?" Sakura blinked in confusion. Her words spoken in anger finally caught up to her and she flushed. She said a lot more than she had meant to, especially to Sai of all people. She took a deep, calming breath and sat down. "Oh… uh… never mind, I was thinking of something else - that has nothing to do with this. Let's get back to the other discussion. So tell me why you announced to the whole damn bar that she was really a man?"

"It seemed the easiest way to ensure his cooperation at the moment; and furthermore, I felt that due to her inebriated condition she would not remember said events." Dismissing the subject, he waved his hand and stated, "I still believe that you miss Naruto. That is what that senseless tirade was about, was it not?"

"Ugh, back on that again? Okay… so why do you think I miss him? It's not like I'm upset or anything. We all know that he's most likely off having a good time at home."

Sai thought about her words for a minute trying to imagine what the proper response should be. "Well…" he said slowly, "Perhaps you are upset because you are obsessively picturing him engaged in unprotected coitus with other women. Is that it? Did I get it right?"

Sakura's forehead was no longer throbbing, it was pounding. "You can stop talking any time now."

"I know for a fact that he always uses condoms. He keeps a rather large box…"

"Please stop, Sai. That's way more information than I need."

"So I didn't get it right? But what about your dream last night? Your room was right next to mine and I heard you screaming out his name. As I said before, you were quite vocal. Did you have a nightmare?"

Large emerald eyes flashed in the firelight. Sakura hissed, "You heard that?! Oh my god… Sai, I swear if you tell anyone, I'll kill you."

Sai could be clueless sometimes, especially in social situations; however, he was not a stupid man. A brief glance at her furious face and he hastily said, "Duly noted."

He watched her again, much to Sakura's increasing discomfort. After she sent him a quelling look, he said, "Did you know that a nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically manifesting as fear or horror but also despair, anxiety and great sadness."

"Yeah, I knew that, Sai. I am a medic you know…"

"Your dream probably contained situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror."

"Um… yeah…"

"Sufferers often awaken in a state of distress and may be unable to return to sleep for a prolonged period."

"I'm fine," she snapped. "It was just a… an um… bad dream."

"Nightmares can have physical causes such as sleeping in an uncomfortable or awkward position, having a fever, or psychological causes such as stress, anxiety, and as a side effect of various drugs. Eating before going to sleep, which triggers an increase in the body's metabolism and brain activity, is a potential stimulus for nightmares as well."

Sakura shook her head and sighed. Honestly - two weeks with Sai seemed like an eternity at this point. While she always enjoyed an intelligent conversation, this was just too much. She knew that she wasn't acting like herself lately, but she just had so much on her mind. She sighed as she realized that she needed to do something - especially after she ran from Naruto that last night in the village. She knew she should have just ignored his _condition_ and told him how she really felt.

_Yeah, right… How can I tell him how I really feel when it could ruin what we have now?_

_What do we have now?_

_Not what I want._

_You're being a coward, Sakura Haruno._

_I know, I know. What do I do?_

"Great…" muttered Sakura under her breath, "Now I'm arguing with myself."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Sakura breathed a long sigh of relief when the gates of Konoha came into view. It was so good to be home. She couldn't wait to get to her apartment, feed her cat, and forgive the idiot. While it had angered her that he was still trying to protect her as though she were still a weak genin, she knew that he didn't do it on purpose. That was just the way he was. She would just have to set him straight.

Ino was right. She had to talk to Naruto. She had to tell him how she really felt…

"I'll see you guys later," she said as they entered the village.

_I have a new mission to accomplish._

* * *

**AN:**

Anyone catch that quote from Pirate's of the Caribbean? I just couldn't resist - it's one of my favorites...

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

This weeks recommendation is **What The Future Holds **by **Alexander The Average.** With the war's conclusion, the world as he knew it changed drastically. Things had become overwhelmingly dull for Naruto Uzumaki, despite his recent promotion. Even with the occasional mission, he found himself becoming increasingly laid back; his thoughts often returning to the past, and contemplating the future. His toughest battle was yet to come.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	7. Worst Day Ever

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

* * *

**Chapter Seven:  
_Worst Day Ever_**

_I've been watching, I've been waiting  
In the shadows for my time  
I've been searching, I've been living  
For tomorrow's all my life  
~Rasmus~_

As Sakura trudged up the steps to her apartment, she searched her pockets and then her bag for the keys. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed as she realized that she didn't have it. She began to knock on the door in hopes that Ino might actually be at home, but quickly came to the conclusion that she wasn't at there.

"Just great," she muttered, banging her head on the door in disappointment. She had really been eager to get clean and thanks to Kakashi for putting those seals on her windows, there was no way that was going to happen anytime soon.

The door behind her opened and she turned around to see Naruto silhouetted against the frame. He gave that special grin that always managed to lift her spirits and said, "Sakura-chan, you're finally back!"

"Oh hi. Yeah, I just got in. Have you seen Ino, by chance?"

"Mmm," he said, scratching his chest. "You know, I think she took the day rotation this week at the hospital." He glanced at the clock on his wall and nodded, "She should be on her way home real soon. What's the matter, are you locked out?"

With a slight pink tinge, Sakura admitted, "I think I lost my key."

Naruto opened his door wider and said, "Come on in, you can wait for her here."

"Oh, um…" Sakura took a step forward and hesitantly looked around. "I don't want to be a bother if you have a um… 'lady friend' here."

"There aren't any." He gave Sakura an intense look, one that she had only seen in the heat of battle.

"Any what?" she asked softly. Her stomach fluttered and her skin grew warm under his gaze.

"Lady friends."

"Lady friends?" repeated Sakura distractedly. _God, what's wrong with me? This is Naruto. Don't think about all those dreams… don't think about how soft his lips look or how his eyes crinkle when he smiles, or how warm his hands would feel on my skin…_

"I said that I'm no longer seeing anyone."

"Oh… That's… good," she whispered, and his eyes jerked back to hers in surprise. He caught the tiny smile on her face as she walked into his apartment, leaving him grinning like a fool.

He shut the door and took a deep, calming breath. For an instant he felt like his twelve-year-old self again - easily excitable and impulsive. That just wouldn't do. Not now, not here with her. He had to remember his plan…

"You could never be a bother, Sakura-chan. There's no one here but us. Sasuke left early this morning for his mission and still hasn't finished yet."

Naruto said mission with a twinkle in his eye as he winked at her. Sakura giggled. "He's still not liking those D ranks is he?" she asked innocently even though she knew better.

"Nope," said Naruto, stretching the word and letting the P pop at the end. "But that's all about to change real soon."

"Oh?" she said curiously, "Why's that?"

"Because he might be allowed to go on a B rank mission real soon. I'm going to talk to Baa-chan tomorrow about it. I think it's time for the rules to be eased up a little. He's been home a year now and has been a good boy."

At Sakura's lifted eyebrow he amended, "Well, good for him anyways. Have a seat and I'll get you something to drink."

"Thanks, water will be fine."

Sakura set down her bag, walked over to the couch and made herself comfortable. She glanced curiously around the apartment. Obviously there were some benefits to Sai and Sasuke as his roommates. The place was clean. A half-finished painting was sitting on an easel. Sakura got up to take a closer look. She was studying it when Naruto walked back into the room.

"It's pretty," she said, still staring at the moonlit scene.

"It's beautiful," corrected Naruto softly, staring at her.

She turned with a smile to take her drink and her eyes rose to his. There was an intense look on his face - hot, captivating, and so sensual it went right to her core.

And there it was again, those dreams of him flashing through her mind; their limbs entwined in an intimate dance, fingers caressing each other everywhere, and… Afraid that he would see what she was thinking, she blushed slightly and quickly looked away.

When she looked again, his boyishly charming smile was back in place. Thinking her imagination was just running wild, she moved back to the couch and sat down while Naruto slowly followed.

They spent the next twenty minutes telling each other what they had been up to during the last two weeks, but the entire time Naruto seemed distracted. Finally she had to ask, "What's wrong? And don't tell me 'nothing' because I know you better than that."

"Well actually… there is something I want to tell you." Naruto cleared his throat and stood up. He began to nervously pace the living room. "Sakura-chan, I want you to know that…"

"Yes?"

"Well… umm… You see… damn, your eyes are pretty."

"Um, thank you?" Sakura gave Naruto a strange look. There was definitely something wrong with him, if she didn't know better she would have thought he was anxious. That was ridiculous of course, because Naruto was one of the most confident shinobi she had ever known. She waited another couple of seconds for him to tell her what was on his mind, then tried to help. "Was there something you wanted to tell me," she prodded.

Sweat broke out on his brow. "Yes."

"Well, what is it? I'm listening."

"Well, you see… Um… How did your mission go?"

"I just told you all about it," she said slowly. "What's really bothering you Naruto? You can tell me anything you know. That's what friends are for."

"Yeah… friends…"

Naruto walked back over to the couch and sat down next to her. Strong, tanned fingers reached out to curl around her hand. His skin was cool, but it managed to send a flare of heat racing straight to the pit of her stomach. "Sakura-chan, I wanted to tell you that…" he began to say.

The door suddenly opened and Sai came in holding Hachiko. Naruto leapt up and hastily backed away.

"Ah, there you are, Hag. I found your… well, what I am assuming is a feline, in the bushes outside. I know you have some sort of attachment and intense feeling of deep affection for this odd creature so I captured him for you. I feel I must inform you that this is the ugliest creature I have ever seen. Did you by chance happen to smash his face with a blunt object?"

Sakura didn't even blink at the horrible nickname he had bestowed upon her long ago. Instead, her eyes lit up at the sight of her beloved pet. "Oh thank you, Sai!" she exclaimed as she reached for the cat. "I can't believe he got out. I would have been so upset if he got hurt while I was gone. And he's not ugly. All those battle scars are marks of valor."

Naruto stared hard at Sai, trying to make him understand without words, that he needed to go away. Sai was clueless. Figures.

"Oh my god, what is that smell?! Hachiko, what did you roll in?" Sakura jumped up and sat the cat down. "It's all over my clothes!"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll take care of it for you. You can take a shower here."

"But all my clothes are dirty."

"That's okay, you can use some of mine. I don't want you to have to wait until Ino gets home."

"Are you sure?

"Yeah, it's no problem.

As soon as Sakura left, Naruto eyed the cat. With a disappointed sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and said, "You're helping me, Sai. You just _had_ to pick this moment to come in, huh?"

"I do not know what you're talking about, Dickless. I had just returned from my mission. Where else was I supposed to go but home?"

"Never mind." He took a long look at Hachiko and commented, "Wow, that is one… don't tell Sakura, but I agree with you. That really is the ugliest cat I've ever seen." He bent down to pick it up, but he laid back his ears and hissed.

Sai cocked his head and furrowed his brow. He gazed at Naruto with a questioning look. "Are you sure it is even a feline?"

"So… um, Sakura-chan, I didn't know you liked cats," he said, ignoring Sai as he heard her enter the bathroom.

From her bedroom she called out, "Well, I admit I've never been much of an animal person. I'm much too busy to be able to take care of one, but Hachiko has really grown on me. Ino said he followed her home and well… we can't just rid of him now."

"That reminds me," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "What do you say to a dog when you hear it Meow? Get that cat out of your mouth!"

Sakura was just taking off her shirt when she heard the comment. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. At times, Naruto's humor left much to be desired.

Apparently Hachiko was not amused. He growled loudly and took a step towards the Jinchuriki.

Naruto backed up. "Um… nice kitty…?"

Hachiko jumped up on the side table, plopped his butt down and stared at Naruto, growling low under his breath. _"Not good,"_ he thought. "Nice kitty," he said soothingly, "Sai will clean you up and you'll feel much better." The cat continued to growl menacingly.

"Me? Why would I cleanse that animal? You told the Hag that you were going to do it."

Naruto glanced around as the feline hissed. He took a few steps back. "Well, look at him. You know how some animals react to me. Come on, do it as a favor for me."

Sai studied Hachiko doubtfully, who was now swiping his claws at Naruto.

"Nice kitty, pretty kitty... Be a good boy now," said Naruto nervously. "Help me Sai!"

"I believe that the saying 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine' fits the current situation rather appropriately."

"Shit!" exclaimed Naruto as he looked at the bleeding scratch on his arm. "What the hell? Are you psychotic or something," he muttered under his breath. Not taking his gaze away from the advancing cat, he agreed, "Fine, whatever you want. Just tell me and I'll do it."

The cat responded by taking a step closer, giving another growl and then a rather threatening hiss. Naruto slowly eased further away and said with a frown, "Bad kitty."

"So what will you do for me?"

"Um," said Naruto, thinking quickly, "How about from now on whenever we go out I'll warn you if a girl is really a lady-boy?"

…

…

"Okay-okay…" said Naruto with a pout and a roll of his eyes, "_before_ you take her home with you."

"That is acceptable," said Sai, scooping up the now purring cat and taking him into the kitchen.

As the door was swinging shut, Naruto caught a glimpse of a paw lifting off Sai's shoulder, and he could almost swear the cat flipped him off… after giving him a rather smug look.

"I don't know a lot about cats, but somehow I don't think it's normal for them to act that way," said Naruto to himself. He sat back down on the couch in frustration and thought about what had almost occurred. If Sai hadn't walked in he would have told Sakura how he felt. He would have just blurted it out like an idiot… like some… some pathetic loser. _'No, Sakura deserves better. I've got to make her see that I'm not some jerk. I've got to prove to her that I am the man for her.'_

He ran through many scenarios in his mind until he figured that the best time and place would be during their mission together - if she would accept it. He had just come to that conclusion when all hell broke loose.

The kitchen door opened and an angry ball of wet fur raced through the apartment and launched itself at him. Razor, sharp claws pierced his leg as it attached itself to him, and then higher as it climbed to his thigh and bit out a large chunk of flesh, and then…

**HOLY MOTHER OF ALL SHINOBI!**

White, hot needles of pain consumed his entire being. All other injuries he had ever suffered before paled in comparison to this. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. Time stood still.

His bedroom door opened. _"Could this day get any worse?"_ thought Naruto with a sinking heart.

Apparently it could.

Sakura came running into the room at the sound of her pet's enraged screams and saw Naruto's hands around the cat's neck. "What are you doing?!" she yelled as it sailed across the room and into Sai's arms. "Did you just throw my cat across the room?!"

Naruto stood there with his mouth hanging open and bleeding profusely. He quickly denied, "It wasn't like that, Sakura-chan, I swear. Your cat attacked me."

"So you tried to kill him?!" she screeched. She ran over to Sai and snatched the cat out of his arms. She held him close and tried to sooth him, but Hachiko would have none of it. He struggled to be free, bit her, and ran from the room to hide under Naruto's bed where he promptly peed.

Sakura turned to him, fury etched on every line on her face at his treatment of her pet.

"I can explain!" said Naruto with a slight whimper. _Oh god, it burns, it burns! Will this pain ever end?!_

"Perhaps you should listen…" began Sai.

"I swear I didn't try to kill him…"

"You had your hands around his neck!"

"To keep him away from my face," stuttered Naruto. "I panicked. He dug his claws into my…"

"You threw him across the room…" said Sakura with gritted teeth.

"Maybe if you would listen to Naruto's explanation…"

"Get out Sai! This is between me and Naruto!" It was said in such a threatening tone that Sai weekly mumbled something under his breath, grabbed his bag from the floor, and walked into the kitchen. As soon as the door slid shut she turned to the blond and demanded, "You can explain how you tried to kill my cat?"

"It was an accident, please, I'm so sorry…"

"You have three seconds before I kill you," growled the enraged girl.

"Sakura… please… Calm down."

"Calm down?!" she shouted in disbelief. "Calm down! I will not calm down. I won't ever be calm again."

"Uh, maybe some sake will help." He started for the door, limping heavily and grimacing with every step. At once, a hand holding a bottle shot into view in the doorway and Naruto grabbed it. Sai stayed discreetly out of sight. And range.

"Sake? You think sake will help? A whole bottle won't be enough to calm me down. I would have to be completely drunk and passed out, and even then my lifeless body would still be twitching in anger!"

From the doorway, Sai's disembodied hand appeared again and offered two glasses. Naruto took them gratefully, moved to a table and poured a glass. "Baa-chan says that a little bit of sake helps her think more rationally."

He cautiously held out the glass. She snatched it from his hand, downed it in one swallow and clenched her teeth. Eyes narrowed and flashing dangerously, she hissed, "I am rational."

Naruto carefully took the glass from her fist and refilled it. "Listen, Sakura, I swear it wasn't like that. Your cat freaked out. He must have sensed Kurama; a lot of animals do. He attacked me and he stuck his claws in my…"

"Your what?

"Umm… never mind."

Sakura instantly remembered the Tora mission from when they were genin. He was right… animals did seem to have an unusual amount of hostility towards him. She calmed down a little, but was still a little doubtful. He only had a few scratches - less than when they sparred. She marched over to him and shouted, "Look, I can see the scratches on your face and arms Naruto Uzumaki. But that still doesn't justify trying to kill my cat."

"It wasn't my face I was worried about!" he shouted back without thinking and then after realizing that he raised his voice to her, said more calmly, "Look, I really am sorry, Sakura. I wouldn't hurt your animal on purpose. I lost control and just panicked," he admitted with a shamed look.

"Well, I'm very sorry he attacked you. He must have been very scared." She eyed his pant leg which had several rips and a small bloody stain. She began to feel guilty and more than a little embarrassed at her pet's behavior. "Why don't you show it to me so I can heal it."

Yup, this had to go down in the history books as the greatest, most humiliating day of his life. Naruto's face turned bright red and he said, "Um.. It's okay… really... You don't need to see it."

"I do need to see it," she insisted. "I feel bad. It was my cat that attacked you so let me heal it for you as my way of saying sorry."

"I can't. I mean I would show you if I didn't think that it would piss you off even more."

From beyond the door, Sai's voice floated out, "Just show her your injured penis so that she will forgive you for attempted murder and so that I can come out of the kitchen."

"What!"

Sai stuck his head out of the door and said, "His dick, wang, ding dong, chubby, cock, manhood, member, prick, rod, sword, third leg, winkie, purple headed meat hammer…"

"SHUT UP, Sai!" they both shouted in exasperation.

"God, what have you and Sasuke done to him?" Sakura turned bright red and stuttered, "Wait - you mean he attacked you in your… umm, he sunk his claws into your…?"

Too late, Naruto made a grab for Sai's arm, his expression warning of dire retribution as the artist opened his mouth again. "Tonsil-tapper?" he offered helpfully before ducking a hurling kunai and then hastily retreating back into the kitchen.

"Oh my god, Naruto, I'm so sorry Hachiko clawed you in the… Um yeah… I'll… uh.. I'll just… um yeah, you know I think I should probably go now."

Sai called out, "You might want to get your feline neutered. That should even out his temper."

Sakura left so fast she forgot her cat… the cat that was currently on his bed, in his room (which now smelled like cat pee), covered in feathers from his destroyed pillows, and shredding his blanket.

_Is that cat puke?_

Yup… worst day ever…

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!I just wanted to say that I would really appreciate some comments right now…not that I'm begging for reviews - a PM would be fine. It's just that I am stuck on the next chapter! I'm usually 2 - 3 chapters ahead. Your reviews and PM's always encourage me and help me write. Don't worry - I know where this story is going, I'm just stuck at the transition chapter and have been for 2 weeks. First I thought it would be pretty cool to do a chapter with Naruto dumping his harem, but I had difficulty writing it. Anyways - I didn't mean to write this huge Author's note so goodbye for now!

This weeks recommendation is** From the Heart **by **thunder3swords**: Based after the war - Sakura gets on with her everyday life and reminisces about past events. She has several encounters with friends and a certain hero, helping her to make a decision about her future.

Also, I know I already recommended **Digifruit's** work, but **The Promises we Exchanged that Day** is one I wanted to personally urge everyone to read. It's beautiful and sad and wonderful...When the leaves change color for autumn, bright orange clothing doesn't seem like such a dumb idea for camouflage anymore.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	8. It's not What You're Thinking

** DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

* * *

**Chapter Eight:****  
**_**It's not What You're Thinking**_

_There's a shadow just behind me,  
shrouding every step I take,  
making every promise empty,  
pointing every finger at me.  
~Tool~_

Sasuke was only two steps his front door when he heard Naruto speak his name. He froze, listening, hoping that he and Sai were too engrossed in their conversation to hear or sense him loitering in the corridor.

"Thank god Sasuke isn't here."

"Yes, that would be unfortunate if he were to witness this. Are you certain you want me to pull it out?"

"Just do it already!"

"As you wish. Expect contact in 2.3 seconds. For your comfort, you may wish to brace yourself as the area of penetration will be sensitive."

Sasuke sank into a crouch, controlling his breath lest their sharp ears pick it up. He turned his head to one side and parted his teeth to increase the range of his own hearing. He edged closer to the door, fascinated.

There was a low groan and then a shouted, "Oh god, it hurts! Stop wiggling it! Pull it out, pull it out!"

"You may not be aware of this, but I have never done this before. It is wedged in there pretty tight. I believe it would be easier if you relax a little before I attempt to pull it out again."

"Oh god it's so big…"

Like being at the scene of a horrifying accident, Sasuke couldn't help but be transfixed. He leaned even closer to the door and pressed his ear to it, his face a mixture of revulsion and titillation.

"I cannot pull it out until you relax," reiterated Sai patiently despite Naruto's pained groans. "I think it was unwise of us to not use any sort of lubricant."

"I swear I'm never going to look at another pussy again after this." Naruto swore loudly, his expletives getting more colorful and imaginative as the seconds passed.

As Sasuke listened, he thought to himself that he would have to remember a few of them. They were really creative and perhaps even anatomically possible if enough force was applied.

"There," said Sai proudly, "How does that feel?"

"Oh, yeah… that feels so good."

At Naruto's moan, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He knew he was about to do the stupidest thing in his life, but he opened the door anyways.

…and saw something that would scar him much more than Orochimaru could ever have even dreamed.

**~o~O~o~**

Naruto looked up. Sasuke stood in the open doorway staring at the scene in front of him in shock; not that he blamed him, for he was standing in the living room with his pants around his ankles while Sai was kneeling in front of him.

All right. This looked incriminating. But there was an easy explanation.

He'd better think of it fast.

"It's not what you think!" shouted the blonde. "Really, it isn't! Sai was taking a claw out of my dick!"

"Delightful. Is that what they're calling it these days?"

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

The glow of the setting sun lit the sky and bathed the buildings in pale shades of red and orange as Sakura entered the boundary of the Yamanaka clan grounds. She had already gone to the hospital only to be told by one of the medics on duty that she had just missed Ino. It was the same story at the flower shop.

Her temper was at a fever pitch by the time she spotted long blonde hair and a short purple skirt. "Ino," she called out, "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

The blonde turned and began to greet her with a smile. "Hey you're back… and wearing Naruto's clothes?" Ino arched her eyebrow as she took in Sakura's appearance.

"It's not what you think."

"Uh huh…" she said doubtfully.

"No really," Sakura said, her tone turning defensive, "I lost my key so Naruto let me wait for you at his place, and then Sai came in with Hachiko who got me all dirty, so then I had to take a shower…"

"Save the excuses, Forehead," she interrupted and then gave a tart look before asking, "So… was he in the shower with you?"

"_Pig_!" Sakura's face turned an interesting shade of pink in embarrassment which clashed horribly with the ramen logoed shirt that was Naruto's.

"Oh come on, loosen up. You know I'm just kidding… unless of course, that's really what happened and in that case tell me all!"

"Just give me the damn key so I can go home and change into my own clothes."

"Oooh, somebody sure is in a bad mood." She linked her arms through Sakura's and started towards their shared apartment. "You might as well tell me everything because I'm not going to let up until you do."

With a deep sigh, Sakura rolled her eyes and told Ino about her mission, including her dreams as they walked along the tree lined pathways leading to their building.

As they stepped into their home, Sakura moved over to the couch and sat down with a long drawn out sigh. "Ino," she concluded, "I think you were right. I think that maybe I am in love with Naruto Uzumaki."

"Well, duh - I'm always right! So what's your problem? I already told you that he's in love with you too." Ino exclaimed as if it were old news.

"I don't know, I think you're wrong about that. Naruto and I are just friends. He hasn't tried to ask me out since we were kids," said Sakura stubbornly.

"Friends that can't keep their eyes off each other maybe; the last time we all went to the bar he practically peed on your leg to mark his territory when any guy asked you to dance."

"He was just being overprotective because he's my teammate."

Ino shook her head in frustration. She vowed to herself that she was going to make her best friend see the light. Mentally pushing up her sleeves, she said, "What about a few months ago when he had that date with Shio or Kishio or whatever the hell her name was; you just happened to need help on some new jutsu, which we all know you could have done himself. Anytime we all hang out together, it's as if the two of you are an old married couple. You eat off each other's plates, spar whenever you get the chance and spend all your free time together."

Sakura sat there in stunned silence. How could she have not seen it before now? They had become so comfortable with each other over the years that Sakura had missed all the signs. Now thinking back, he did seem to go out of his way to annoy Fuyuki; the man she had briefly dated. It was odd how Naruto seemed to dislike him. He usually got along with everyone.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Sakura asked as Ino just stared at her.

"Uh hello… I did…many times."

"So what do I do now? I can't just blurt it out like all those other women constantly do. If there's one thing I know about him, it's that he's not subtle. If he still has feelings for me he would have said something… wouldn't he?"

"Maybe he's just as afraid as you are."

"Tch… Naruto… afraid?"

"Well, why not? Look at you. Who would believe that you, Sakura Haruno, famed disciple of one the Legendary Sanin, would be too scared to tell him how you feel? It just so happens that I know something you don't."

Sakura rolled her eyes and shoved Ino playfully. "Yeah," she said, "and what's that?"

Ino stood up and walked over to a small table by the front door. She picked something up and brought it over to Sakura. "I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't be back in time and I could go instead. That's why I have this. Lady Tsunade gave it to me in case you weren't. Well," she added with a sigh, "It's yours and you definitely need it more than I do." She handed Sakura a tightly rolled paper.

"Is that a mission scroll?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Open and find out."

Sakura carefully opened the scroll and read its contents. "No way," she whispered. Her face flushed with pleasure and she asked, "Are you serious?"

"Yes, and you must know that I hate you now!"

"No way…" she said faintly.

"Yup, you're getting the Firefly mission."

The Firefly mission was coveted by every kunoichi in Konoha - and more than a few shinobi as well. It was a simple escort mission within the borders of the Land of Fire. But that wasn't what made it so special. Every year the Daimyo's head adviser would travel to Konoha for his yearly inspection and medical treatment for a rare lung disease.

The man owned many properties within the country including one called the Firefly spa. That was where he would meet the shinobi who were to escort him to the village. Although the man was very shrewd he was also quite gregarious. He always made several stops along the way to visit the other villages within the country, so he was known for being late by a week or two... or three. It was in essence a paid vacation to the most exclusive place in the Land of Fire.

The shinobi who were assigned the Firefly mission stayed for free at the spa. It was always two shinobi; a medic and a combat ninja.

Ino smiled at Sakura's pleasured squeal and then said, "Naruto is the second member of the team. He told me that Lady Tsunade wants him to go too because he will be dealing with this Lord Kumosaki a lot in the future as Hokage." Ino laughed, "She seems that think he might get the wrong impression of Naruto if he meets him here in Konoha. She also said that he's at his best when he's on a mission and people have time to get to know him."

"That's true," agreed Sakura with a fond smile. "Naruto certainly has a way of inspiring friendship and loyalty from nearly everyone he meets."

"Yeah," laughed Ino, "But you have to admit, he usually antagonizes them first!"

Sakura looked down at the scroll again and bit her lip in indecision. "I really want to go, but how is this going to help me?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me?" she scoffed, "Two to possibly three weeks at one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the Land of Fire and you don't think something could happen? All of the spas are unisex and most are private," she gave a suggestive eye wiggle and then continued, "There's that huge festival going on and that dance…"

Ino gave Sakura a sly look and commented, "I'll bet that's probably why he recommended you as the medic."

"What makes you think it was he that asked for me to go?" Sakura shook her head and explained, " It was probably Lady Tsunade who requested me."

"I doubt that… or have you forgotten - Naruto's in charge of the missions."

Sakura was saved from having to respond by a soft knock at their front door. She hurried over to answer.

Sai stood at the entrance holding Hachiko. "Hag," he said with a nod. He looked over to the couch where Ino sat and said, "Beautiful," which caused her to bristle in indignation.

"Why you…!"

"Kill him later Ino, we just bought this pretty rug and blood is so hard to remove." As Sakura gathered the cat in her arms, she asked Sai hesitantly, "Is Naruto really okay?"

Sai gave a large, false smile and said, "I removed the claw; however, felines carry a lot of bacteria on them, which is why cat scratches itch so much. I intend on encouraging him to seek medical treatment. I believe there are several females at the hospital who would eagerly seize upon the opportunity to handle the future Hokage's penis."

Sakura calmly and silently began counting numbers, trying for fifty but getting no further than ten before exploding, "If he thinks that I'm gonna let some shameless little…! Oh um, you know what, that would probably be a very good idea. Tell him to ask for Sora. Sora is very nice and also one of the best medics on duty right now."

Sai nodded and turned to leave, but Sakura called out, "Wait!"

He turned and raised his eye brow. "I… um… uh…" Sakura visibly gulped and then stood tall, a determined gleam entered her eyes. "Can you tell Naruto that I want to treat him to dinner tomorrow at Ichiraku. Tell him to meet me there at six."

"Make it eight," shouted Ino.

As soon as Sakura shut the door, Ino smothered a laugh. "That was mean Sakura."

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Sora is a unisex name and all, but you know that they will be expecting him to be a woman."

"Well, he is very nice though… and I never actually said he was a woman. I'm sure Naruto would be much more comfortable having a man look at his… uh problem."

"Yeah," said Ino, no longer able to contain her giggles. "I'm so sure Naruto would much prefer a two hundred and fifty pound man with really bad breath and some sort of scary glandular disorder touching his dick."

"So why am I waiting until eight to meet him?"

* * *

AN:

Well everyone, I have something special to announce - and for all of you that have been following my work these past years, you know what I'm talking about - Yes, it is Omake time! An Omake is a side story that doesn't really fit in the story. I write them at request, or because there is side information that I believe will enhance my story, or because I just thought it would be funny. So, for those of you that really don't like them, then stop right here and give me a review telling me how awful I am. LOL

So a reader commented that he/she would like to see what happens when Naruto attempts to break up with his women (but I can't remember who… sorry!). I got to thinking about this too… how would he break up with his harem? Would he just say - hey, I don't want to see you anymore or would he want the girl to break up with him?

One last thing - We all know what a nice guy Naruto is and that he wouldn't want to hurt someone on purpose so don't get mad if you think he's being mean because he isn't - he's just clueless.

That being said, may I present:

**Harem Heartbreak  
_~An Omake~_**

Naruto checked his list. Yes, he actually had a list. He wanted to make absolutely sure that he didn't forget anyone. The first name on it was Akira. He glanced at the clock on his wall and figured it was as good a time as any to go. He snatched the carefully worded letter from his table, shoved it into in an envelope, and put it in his back pocket.

It didn't take that long at all to arrive. He glanced all around before walking up to the front door. He took out the envelop and slid it under her door. He was pretty proud of the letter. In it, he had written how beautiful and sweet she was and how grateful he been to have spent such a wonderful time with her.

The door opened.

Akira face brightened in surprise to see her favorite blond haired shinobi at her home. Her eyes drifted down to the paper on the doorstep. "What's this?" she purred, "A love letter? How sweet!"

"Oh no… it's nothing," stammered Naruto. He tried to grab it back, but she held tight to it and then opened it. As she read it, her happy smile turned to a frown. When she looked back up, her eyes were blazing in anger. She clenched the letter tightly in her fist and swung.

Naruto stoically took the punch and said, "I-I-I'm really sorry Akira."

"A letter?" she hissed. "You are breaking up with me in a letter?"

"I didn't want to make you angry or hurt you."

She tore open the letter and read, "You know that I care for you. I just don't think it will be healthy for either of us to stay friends immediately after we break up. Hopefully sometime down the road, when we've both figured stuff out, we can get to that place."

"So," she yelled, "You're breaking up with me and you don't even want to say let's be friends?!"

"Well, you see… I just thought…" Naruto flinched as the door slammed shut and then ran as it opened and a huge, vicious ninken came running out with murder in his eyes.

_"Well,"_ thought Naruto as he ran for his life, _"Kiba did warn me about Inuzuka women."_

**~o~O~o~**

Naruto glanced down at his list and chewed his lip thoughtfully. Kamiko. Kamiko was a very easy-going girl. That in mind, he set off to find her using sage mode.

The sun was high in the sky when Kamiko exited the Anbu training grounds. Her work out complete, she and her squad were heading towards their barracks when she heard her code name being called. She smiled beneath her mask as the handsome, blue eyed shinobi came closer.

Just thinking about his tall, toned form made her whole body tingle… especially her ass. She just loved it when he spanked her ass.

"Naruto-kun," she said a little more breathlessly than she would have preferred in front of her teammates.

"Hey Special K! Can I speak with you a minute?"

"Sure," she said, stepping a few feet away from the others. She removed her mask and asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I just wanted to say that this thing between us had been a lot of fun…"

"Had?" she interrupted.

"Well, um…"

"Had?!"

"Well," he said quickly, "we both agreed in the beginning that we weren't looking for anything serious."

"Oh, I see," she said icily, "So you're telling me that you no longer what to be involved with me, is that right?"

"Uh yeah. Wow, I knew you would be understanding about this."

"Oh I'm real understanding, Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's so great."

"Oh yes, I'm really understanding. I understand that you don't want to be with me anymore. I understand that you chose to tell me this in front of my friends and teammates."

"Uh-oh…" Naruto's eyes strayed to the group of Anbu standing several feet away. Although he couldn't see their faces, he knew that they were avidly listening in. His heart began to beat furiously.

"I understand that the reason why you are doing this is because you found someone to replace me with - someone you will commit to; something you wouldn't do with me."

"Look I'm really sorry Kamiko, but I never lied to you. You're the last person in the world who deserves this. But I've realized that I will never love you the way that you want me too. The one small good thing about this is that you can begin to find someone who can truly treat you the way that you deserve to be treated. I know you will find that person."

"Kimiko! My name is Kimiko!"

_Damn, why can't I ever get that right?_

Somehow he wasn't all that surprised when he heard the steel ring of the tantō as it was unsheathed, nor the 'whoosh' as it passed a breath away from his torso.

_"Okay,"_ thought Naruto to himself as he ran for his life, _"Never break up with someone who has access to a lot of weapons and a private place to use them."_

**~o~O~o~**

After visiting the hospital to get treated for a head injury, Naruto looked down at his list. Two left.

He knew at once who to visit next, if it wasn't taken care of yet. Ai. She was a civilian that worked at a ramen shop so he felt he would be safe from attack. He sat down under a large shade tree to figure out how to do this one. Writing a letter proved to be the wrong way to go about it. He absent-mindedly scratched at the bandage wrapped around his leg and thanked god once again that Inuzuka hounds had all their shots.

He definitely learned his lesson about telling a girl in front of her friends. That was definitely the wrong thing to do.

The overwhelming scent of a ramen invaded Naruto's senses. He inhaled deeply and felt his stomach gurgle in hunger. A wet noodle landed on his cheek and slid down to his lap. He looked up and began to laugh.

Sai was drenched in ramen broth and covered in noodles.

"What happened to you?"

"It would appear that you were erroneous and your assumption that your female companion would appreciate a third party informing her that she is no longer in a relationship."

"Huh… who knew," said Naruto innocently. "Ai is usually very pleasant."

"I believe that you committed yourself to an opinion without having sufficient evidence to support that opinion fully."

"Huh?"

"You guessed."

"It's not like they did it on purpose. You know that right?"

"Your past exploits suggest otherwise."

"Well, at least you smell good."

Sai reached into his pouch, pulled at a dripping book, and opened it. "Ah yes, here it is… Go fuck yourself."

**~o~O~o~**

Naruto nervously sat at the small, round table in the middle of the busy restaurant waiting for Minka. A part of him hated to do this because she really was a very sweet girl. A chunin kunoichi, she worked at the ninja academy as an instructor's assistant.

He barely waited five minutes before she showed up and joined him at the table. The food he ordered when he first arrived was sat down in front of them and they began to eat.

She eyed his dark gloves and asked, "Why haven't you taken those off?"

"It's really no big deal but my leprosy is acting up again. Hey, are you going to eat those dumplings?"

She gave Naruto a startled look and then pushed her plate towards him.

Casually he asked, "So all my friends at the gay bar said I should go through with the sex change, what do you think?"

She wasn't giggling when she slapped him.

_"Well," _he thought as he ran from the kunai wielding chunin,_ "at least that's all of them."_

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

For this weeks recommendation, I have **A Soul's Salvation **by **Lady Kogawolf** Guidance comes from the last place Sakura expected, and now, she must walk a new path with surprising results. ~ I must say thank you to reader Logan Locke for telling me about this one. I read it a long time ago when I first started reading Fanfiction and I still remember it to this day. I didn't understand favoriting at the time, so I could never find it again. I'm so pleased to be able to recommend this one to you all! You won't regret reading it.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	9. The Date

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered and abused!

* * *

**Chapter Nine:****  
**_**The Date**_

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me__  
__My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating__  
__Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me__  
__Till then I walk alone__  
__~Green Day~_

"So why am I waiting until eight to meet him?"

"Because you have to work until six. You need time to make yourself look really good." Ino scrutinized Sakura, deep in thought. A slow smile came to her face which made Sakura want to cringe. "There's something else you need to do as well," she said, "We're going to the spa to get a bikini wax."

"Excuse me?" The idea of having all the hair ripped from down there just didn't sound appealing to Sakura. She could barely handle the hurt of getting the lips on her face done, she couldn't imagine waxing the lips down there too. She'd have to get an epidural or something to manage the pain. No thank you. And while she loved her best friend and understood she was trying to help her out, she really had no intention of letting Ino hold her legs to her ears while someone plucked her like a chicken.

"Not only no, but no freaking way!"

Ino, of course, completely ignored Sakura's protests and grabbed her arm. "Come on," she urged, "If you do it now there will be enough time for the swelling to go down."

"Swelling?" repeated Sakura weakly.

"We are going to make you look like sex on heels, so that you can seduce that hot, sexy neighbor of ours."

"I will do no such thing. First of all, who said I wanted to seduce Naruto? I'm not sure I'm even ready for that even if he does somehow feel the same way about me."

"That's not the point. The point is knowing how good you look under your clothes. Trust me, it gives you confidence and that way, if anything does happen…"

"Nothing's going to happen," she said firmly and the added, "But what about you? Where are you going to be?"

Ino waved her hand and shrugged. "I'll hang out with my mom for the night. Listen Forehead, I know you. Ever since that day Naruto came back injured from the Valley of the End you have worked your ass off to become the strong kunoichi you are now, but you've sacrificed everything else. You are going to the spa, making yourself beautiful, and then you're coming back to here and finally telling him how you feel." Ino was already up and out of the room before Sakura realized what had happened.

"Why does nobody listen to me? I am fine. I don't need to seduce Naruto. I am perfectly happy with my life." Sakura stuck her chin out stubbornly.

"When is the last time you had sex, Sakura?" Ino asked the rhetorical question while Sakura just sat there looking at her, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Exactly… almost doesn't count."

"You're one to talk. You haven't done it yet either."

Ino slowed her pacing and turned to look at Sakura. "I'm too much for anyone to handle." She brightened and continued, "Now stop trying to change the subject."

"I've already made a fool of myself in front of the man today. Do I really need to do it again?"

"I'm telling you, you will not be making a fool of yourself. It's time for you to bring Naruto back to your room, throw him on your bed, screw his brains out, and then walk funny the next day… and then give me all the dirty details."

"Pig!"

"Uh-uh, no more excuses, go get your purse and coat and let's go to the spa. The only thing you need to think about is having a nice dinner with Naruto and telling him that you love him."

"I can't just blurt that out!"

"Yes you can." Ino glanced down at Hachiko and added, "And for god's sake, put that stupid cat in my room or something. The last thing you need is another attack."

"But it's late," said Sakura weakly.

"It's not that late," said Ino in a sing-song voice.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

"She's asking me out?" asked Naruto disbelievingly. He leapt up from the chair, knocking down the bag of ice that had been resting on his crotch, and grabbed Sai's shoulders. "What did she say exactly?" he demanded, "Word for word!"

Sai ignored Naruto's excitement and calmly replied, "She said, and I quote, 'Can you tell Naruto that I want to treat him to dinner tomorrow night at Ichiraku. Tell him to meet me there at six.' And then Ino Yamanaka said to be there at eight. Oh and she also recommended a medic to treat your injury."

"You might want to get that looked at before your date," agreed Sasuke quietly.

"My date…" said Naruto faintly.

"A pity date…" said Sasuke mockingly.

"I'll take what I can get, Teme. Oh my god, I'm going on a date with Sakura. What'll I do? What should I say? What if I do something stupid?" Each question came out faster and more panicked. "What if I slop food on myself? What if I…"

"Tch, calm down. You've known Sakura practically your whole life. If she isn't repulsed with you by now than chances are, she won't be. She's been through the academy with us so has seen you at your worst."

"It's not just that," said Naruto. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then threw himself down on the chair. "What should I say to her? I really have no clue how she feels about me. I've been trying to keep my feelings to myself for so long because I don't want to ruin our friendship."

Sasuke gave Naruto a 'you're dumber than a box of rocks' look before saying, "The woman can't keep her eyes off of you. Whenever you leave a room, those green eyes of hers follow you like a chakra seeking clay bomb. I think it's a safe bet she reciprocates your feelings."

"Reciprocates huh? That's an awfully big word for you isn't it? Was one of your dates having fun with a dictionary again?" Naruto knew it was mean to rib his friend right now, but he felt like he was drowning with all the new information and needed to lighten the mood.

"Hn. I'm not the one sitting here like an idiot, talking about my feelings." Sasuke cocked his head as if daring Naruto to counter.

"Hey, you know what? To take a page out of Sai's book - go fuck yourself!"

"At least I can," said Sasuke with a smirk and looking pointedly at Naruto's groin.

Naruto grimaced and then asked Sai, "What was that name of the medic Sakura recommended?"

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

The fifteen minute walk to Ichiraku was pure torture, but he just couldn't make himself run. He talked himself in and out of what he was about to do. The risk was high, but so was the reward. He had wanted Sakura for years, and if there was even the smallest chance that she wanted him too, nothing was going to stop him.

As he sighted the merrily waving flag above the newly rebuilt ramen shop, Naruto took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "This is Sakura. You've talked to her a million times. You can do this." With his small pep talk out of the way, he steeled his shoulders and headed for the entrance. It was now or never.

Ichiraku was bigger now. Not only did it have the counter, but it had a few tables now too. Sakura was already there sitting at one. She looked so beautiful. He head was down, studying a book in her hands. Naruto just stood there for a second admiring her profile.

When Sakura lifted her head, it was to find a brilliant pair of blue eyes staring at her. A bit flustered, she said shyly, "Hi, I'm glad you could come."

"I'd be crazy to miss my two favorite things - ramen and you! So what are you reading?" he asked, grabbing the thick book as she was putting it away.

"It's research for the Firefly mission. I received a file on Lord Masahiro's condition, but I just wanted to be thoroughly prepared."

"So you're accepting the mission then? You know that means two or three weeks with just me for company. Think you can handle it?" he laughed and sat down next to her.

"It should be fun. And come to think of it, this is the first time we have ever gone on a mission that was just the two of us." As he nodded happily, Sakura stared at him thoughtfully before she asked, "Do you miss it?"

"What?"

"Going on missions."

"Yeah," he sighed after a brief hesitation, "Much more than I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, I'm honored beyond anything to be working alongside Baa-chan. It always was my dream to become the Hokage, but still…"

Sakura gave him a knowing look and explained, "Travelling is the best because you are experiencing something completely new and also you are far away, so no one will ever know what you are doing…"

"Exactly," he nodded. It came as no surprise that she knew exactly what he was thinking. "And what about you? You hardly ever go on them anymore."

"Well, I really enjoy working at the hospital and especially doing research, but yes, sometimes I really miss the excitement of a mission."

Naruto grinned and said boyishly, "and especially if you are doing something really, really bad you don't want anyone to know about it..."

Sakura flushed a bit because of the husky way he said 'bad.' She playfully swatted his arm and said, "You are too honorable to do anything bad."

"Oh, I don't know about that," he teased, "like what if I steal a kiss or something really, really bad like that…"

"Well, I… uh… I guess that all depends upon who you're stealing the kiss from."

Naruto gave Sakura a heated look that had her heart pounding and her lips dry. She had never felt so nervous and insecure. She licked her lips. Ayame came over to their table and set down their food, breaking the silence. Once they were alone again, Sakura tried the steer the conversation towards a more neutral subject, "So Ino told me that Kakashi Sensei trained with you last week while I was gone."

"Yeah, it was great," said Naruto excitedly. "He's been so busy that I rarely see him, it seems. I love going head to head with him. I don't have a lot of time either, but I try to slip one in whenever I can."

The talk with Ino the other day had Sakura thinking along completely different lines so she blushed a bit after that provocative statement. Naruto continued blithely on, "Yeah, it was a rough one. You would probably become pretty sore if you had been there. It sure is awesome when you give yourself one hundred percent and you just lay there afterwards, breathing heavy, dripping of sweat and totally sore. I love it."

"Yeah," said Sakura a bit dreamily and then chuckled, "I have a feeling…"

She stopped with a gasp when he suddenly leaned out of his chair and nearly across hers. But then she heard the buzzing sound of the bee close to her ear and instinctively moved away from it, which brought the side of her cheek up against his chest. He was batting at the insect to get it away from her. She heard his grunts. That was too much stretching for his injury. Sakura looked at his groin and blushed.

But she didn't hear the bee anymore either - he'd swatted it away. What a chivalrous thing to do, despite the discomfort it had cost him.

"Thank you."

The two young shinobi stayed frozen in place; their close position nearly an embrace. Naruto hands hung limply at his side, uncertain whether or not Sakura would allow him to put them around her. He cleared his throat and said, "Sakura-chan, I wanted to tell you that…"

Whatever 'that' might entail were sharply choked off by a sudden shriek that split the air, and Naruto was pried away from Sakura by a clearly furious woman.

Stunned by the unexpected attack, Sakura stumbled out of her chair and stood up, watching in amazement as the assailant gripped Naruto by the neck and lifted him off his feet to pin him to the wall with astonishing ease.

A civilian woman would be incapable of tossing someone as strong as Naruto about with such ease. A kunoichi, she swiftly recognized as she spotted the hitai-ate with the cloud insignia etched on it. A beautiful kunoichi, Sakura then acknowledged as Naruto held out a hand to keep the pink-haired medic from approaching.

As tall as Naruto, the kunoichi possessed a lush body barely covered by a token scrap of gauzy material and hair past her waist that contained the rare shade of a golden sunrise. Her face was thin, almost feline with smoldering amber eyes and lush lips that could fulfill any man's fantasy.

And she was clearly in a PMS mood.

Not struggling, Naruto nevertheless regarded his captor with a wary gaze.

"Suzume."

"Naruto. Now this is a yummy little surprise," the woman stuck out her tongue and ran it up the side of his face. "You can't imagine how many days I dreamed up just this moment between us."

Sakura stiffened at the unmistakable tone. Hell, she wasn't attacking Naruto.

She was his ex. Or was she his current fling of the week?

A startling layer of something that might have been jealousy raced through Sakura as she folded her arms over her chest. This was the sort of woman he desired? Gorgeous, powerful, and with really big breasts.

The… ass.

"An old friend of yours?" Sakura demanded.

"Something like that," Naruto conceded, his lips twisting in regret. "Now Suzume, this really isn't the time for one of our petty little fights."

"Petty?" the woman narrowed her gaze too dangerous slits. "You trapped me in a cave."

"Obviously you managed to escape." He added cheekily, "No harm done."

Suzume gave a little growl. "I was there for two weeks. I had to eat rats."

"I hear they're full of protein and um… nutritious?" Naruto grunted as the fingers tightened on his throat. "Jeeze, Suzume, I wouldn't have trapped you in that stupid cave if you haven't tried to kill me. And you're a kunoichi… you should have been able to get out pretty easily."

"You know I never would have done it. I was only playing."

"Playing?"

"You used to like our little games. Remember how you enjoyed being chained to the…"

"Chains are one thing, Suzume, but a kunai is quite another," Naruto hastily interrupted. "I didn't particularly care to stick around and discover where you intended to put it. Call me crazy."

Suzume gave a loud sniff. "It was still rude."

"You have my deepest apologies," Naruto muttered. "As well as my solemn promise never to trap you in a cave again."

There was a long pause before Suzume's features softened to a seductive pout, and she lowered Naruto to the floor. "I suppose I could be convinced to forgive you."

"You are nothing less than a saint."

Allowing the hand that had been choking Naruto to smooth its way down his chest, the kunoichi leaned forward until she was pressed intimately against him.

"Now, do we kiss and make up?"

Sakura discovered her fists clenching as the woman rubbed against Naruto like a cat in heat. She wasn't sure if she wanted to smack Naruto or Suzume the slut. But she most certainly wanted to smack someone.

"Heh heh," Naruto laughed, holding his hands up to hold the woman back. "I can't think of any way where this will work out without injury to me." He bit his lip. "Can't we just shake hands and agree to be friends or something?"

With an angry sniff, Suzume turned to stalk away, her ivory curves perfectly visible beneath the thin gauze.

Alone with Naruto, Sakura shot him a disgruntled frown. "Charming."

"Suzume's a bit… emotional," he ruefully conceded.

"More than a bit if she tried to kill you."

He shrugged. "Every relationship has its share of danger."

"Not death by a kunai," she muttered, still battling a persistent sense of resentment at the thought of Naruto being intimate with the beautiful kunoichi. The woman was clearly demented.

A blonde brow arched as Naruto allowed his gaze to sweep over her stiff features. "Sakura-chan, you have threatened to kill me more than once."

"Yes, but that was different."

"How?"

"Because it was."

"Ah." Naruto his lips twitched with a flare of wicked amusement. "I think I know what has you so upset. You're jealous."

She slapped her hands on her hips. Well, of course she was jealous. Suzume was disgustingly beautiful and drenched with the smoldering passion that make men drool. More importantly, she had managed to ensnare Naruto with her seductive skills. Or perhaps it was the chains, a nasty voice whispered in the back of her mind.

In any event, she had possessed what Sakura had lusted after for quite a while.

Okay, yeah she was very jealous. Not that she was about to admit as much. She did have her pride; for whatever that was worth. She knew it was stupid to be jealous about that girl. She wasn't dating Naruto. She never told him her feelings for him. But still…

"Jealous?! In your dreams, Baka!" she yelled and then stalked off in a huff.

Naruto stood there for a moment in stunned disbelief. She left. She actually left and all because of something that happened in the past. As he watched her as she shoved the banners out of her way and marched off, Naruto's visage turned grim.

NO.

With a deep growl, a flash of red lit his eyes and he took off in hot pursuit.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Sakura had forgotten how fast he could move. How totally helpless he could make her feel; which was a feeling that she had always hated before this moment. Now there was no feeling that had ever felt so right.

How totally and completely helpless she was, yanked into his arms, and crushed against him. His mouth closed over hers, hot and demanding. Fear shivered down her backbone. A knee parted her legs and pressed against her groin, and she couldn't stop him. An ardent shock followed that reverberated through her system, and she moaned despite herself.

The impulse to struggle flared, but was extinguished before it took hold. She felt drowned beneath a tidal wave of feelings. Hers and his… Something between them ignited; not anger, not shock – something closer to avid curiosity. Her heart never pounded so hard, or so loud she could hear it in her ears. Her blood had never raced so swiftly.

She closed her hands in his coat, grabbed hold, held on as a rush of sensation swept her up, caught her, and held her trapped. And not just by his arms, but innumerable stands of fascination… the shift of his lips, cool and hard on hers, the restless flexing of his fingers on her upper arms as if he longed to reach further, to explore and touch, the feel of his tongue as it swept hers.

This was so much better than any dream. Suddenly, she found herself glad that he had dated other women. He had obviously learned quite a few things.

Spiraling thrills cascaded through her; licks of excitement teased her nerves, built her fascination. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. There was nothing that could ever compare to this.

A very small part inside Naruto knew he shouldn't be doing this. They were friends and he could be ruining things between them. But damn it, she was now his to enjoy, to savor, as least as far as a kiss would allow. He would worry about regrets later.

They were in full view of the street causing a small crowd to gather. So caught up in the passionate kiss, neither one saw or heard their presence. It was the mellow voice of Kakashi that broke them apart.

"Mah, you two kids might want to take that somewhere private."

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! There were a lot less comments than normal last chapter - so let me know what's not so good about the story. My goal is to become a better writer and I'm not afraid of criticism.

This week's recommendation is a little different than what I usually read. Now normally I really don't like high school fics at all, but this one was surprisingly different… I actually liked it. I even teared up a bit in certain chapters. So this week's recommendation is **Make Believe **by **Springflake**: Naruto is Konoha High's most loved student and Sakura the most hated one. Attempting to bully the girl into transferring schools, Naruto pretends that he wants to be her friend. Nobody expects him to fall in love...

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	10. No Apologies

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered... or if their extremely lucky - sexually used! This chapter is dedicated to **Hanmac** - sorry it doesn't quite end the way you're hoping, but it's close...

* * *

**Chapter Ten:****  
**_**No Apologies**_

_So please, please, just let me make my peace.  
I refuse to let your words be the death of me.  
Please, please, just let me live my life.  
Stop living in my shadow and just make it right.  
~Falling in Reverse~_

"Mah, you two kids might want to take that somewhere private."

Kakashi's voice broke through the passionate haze surrounding Naruto and Sakura. He slowly pulled back. She took a little longer to recover her wits. Naruto had to help her take her hands away from the back of his neck.

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry," he said in a gruff whisper, internally smiling over the look of bemusement on her face. "I've wanted to do that for a long, long time." She still hadn't recovered from his touch, and that fact pleased the hell out of him. Not that he had fully recovered either. He was breathing hard and having trouble controlling the urge to kiss her again. "Sleep with me, Sakura," he blurted out before he could think. "I can make you so happy."

He heard her gasp before a hand cracked soundly against his cheek that had his ears ringing and teeth rattling. Her simmering temper needed an outlet, one that wouldn't be misconstrued, and she took it.

Naruto had looked up instantly, only to meet the emerald fury in Sakura's eyes. That had been no light slap of feminine outrage to make a point. A potent rage had been behind that blow. And she was not done.

"I will not share like a…like a… like an odalisques'," she hissed in a frigid tone.

"An Oda what?" said Naruto bemusedly as he watched her stomp away. When she walked out on him, he saw red. He hadn't realized how much of that haze had been due to lust.

He knew now.

"An odalisques' is a woman that is part of a harem," said Kakashi, not taking his eyes off the page he was reading. "There's a really great story about them in the third Icha Icha book."

Naruto fingered his cheek absently as he watched her turn the corner and disappear from his sight, and then suddenly a glint of humor appeared in his eyes. She was feisty and opinionated, and he wouldn't have it any other way. She was just so passionate about everything. A low growl escaped his lips as he privately wondered if she would be just a passionate in bed.

To Naruto's great surprise, Kakashi suddenly grabbed his arm and used the Body Flicker technique to move them far away from prying eyes.

"What gives?" he asked as he found himself in an empty training field.

Kakashi stared pointedly at Naruto's hands and said, "You tell me."

Naruto looked down in confusion. His nails were sharp and pointed and if he had a mirror, he just knew that his eyes were most likely red and slitted in an animalistic way. "Oh… damn… not again," he groaned.

"This has happened before?"

"It just started pretty recently. Usually when I'm asleep and having dreams."

"Are you losing control?"

"Not exactly," he sighed and then threw himself down on the ground. "Kurama says it's not him. He thinks it's more of an animal instinct thing."

"Animal instinct?"

"Yeah, well you know that I have a little bit of all the other beasts' chakra in me. He thinks that when I'm feeling really strong emotion, some of their behaviors overpower mine. I don't know… it's hard to explain."

"So what kind of animal instincts are we talking about?"

Naruto turned bright red and mumbled something.

"What was that?" asked Kakashi.

"I said the need to mate."

"But you've been with other girls before."

Desperately wishing he was not having this conversation with his sensei, he muttered, "Yeah well, I wasn't in love with any of them. I mean, I liked them and all, but that's all."

And then he remembered what he had stupidly said to Sakura. "Oh god, I'm such an idiot." He looked as if he wanted to bang his head against the nearest tree. "Just put me out of my misery and kill me now."

"Mah," chuckled Kakashi at the look on Naruto's face, "That's just how it is… men have been making fools out of themselves since the beginning of time when it comes to women. You're not the first and certainly not the last."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

In such a fury, Sakura completely missed the street leading to her apartment and soon found herself at the location that was once her old house.

As she slowly drifted through the construction site, thoughts were spinning madly in her head. She trailed her fingertips over her lips and then blew out a long sigh. With the firefly mission coming soon, she knew she had to figure things out quickly. The memory of that kiss and her reaction to it bothered her. It was what she wanted, wasn't it?

Leaning her head back against the building, she closed her eyes. Naruto's image immediately sprang to the forefront of her mind. Piercing blue eyes. Broad shoulders. Lean muscled chest. Large hands… She shivered, remembering the touch of those hands on her arms, on her skin. The hard length of his body pressed against hers, the way his tongue had plundered her mouth…

Shivers raced through her body and then like a cold dousing of water, the cloud kunoichi's image came to mind. How could she compete with something like that? And then she thought of Naruto's invitation. Yeah, so maybe he was really interested in her, but she didn't want to become just another notch in his bedpost.

Sakura grimaced. She has slapped him, and not just a love tap. She really wanted to talk to Ino to help her figure things out, but she was spending time with her mom. What she really needed was clarity.

_"Baa-chan says that a little bit of sake helps her think more rationally."_

Naruto's words echoed in her head. The more she thought about it, the better the idea sounded… not that she was trying to avoid her conflicting thoughts or anything … "A couple of drinks wouldn't hurt," she said aloud.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Naruto was breathing hard, his muscles were on fire, and he was covered in sweat. After talking to Kakashi, he decided to go for a very long run. He had just barely returned home, stripped down to a baggy pair of shorts to cool off, and grabbed a bottle of water when he heard a loud thump from the hallway.

Naruto made his way to the front door. He pulled it open and stopped. There, sitting in her door way, with one hand still on the knob and her back leaned against the door, was Sakura.

"Naruto!" she shouted.

_"Great!" _Naruto thought._ "Not only has she been drinking, but she is absolutely smashed." _

"Hi Sakura, been doing a little drinking tonight have you?" Naruto couldn't help but smile as she made an adorable scrunched up face while thinking about her answer.

"Nope, been doing a lot of drinking. I feel all tingly."

"Tingly?"

She abruptly grimaced. "Except for my nose. I can't feel my nose at all. It's still there, isn't it?"

Naruto swallowed a laugh as he reached out to lightly tap her nose. She was unexpectedly endearing when she was tanked. "Safe and sound in the center of your face," he assured her.

"Good. I don't like it very much, but I wouldn't want to lose it."

"No, a nose is a good thing to have," he said with a touch of humor.

Sakura ran an appraising eye up and down his bare chest and smiled. "What have you been up too? Having hot monkey sex with some super-hot, big breasted, perfect little slut? That's what all the boys are doing these days." With that final statement, Sakura's door gave way and she fell backwards into her apartment with a muffled oomph.

Naruto, taken aback at her comment, stood there watching as her back and head hit the floor. "Sakura, are you alright? Would you like me to help you up?" Her only response was a very small giggle.

"You look really good from down here." Naruto was standing above Sakura, trying to assess if she was hurt. "Maybe I should stop wearing underwear under my clothes too. It would be one less complication in my life."

He stared dumbfounded at the woman lying on the floor, until Sakura's words finally registered in Naruto's brain and he jumped back several feet. "I was… um just running."

Since he couldn't leave Sakura laid out in the door way to her apartment while he went to change, he quickly scooped her up off the floor and headed toward her bedroom.

On the way there, Sakura was all hands. She was twisting and turning and touching everywhere on Naruto she could get to.

"I've always wondered what your muscles would feel like under my hands. It's even better than I imagined. Only I always thought you'd be sweaty from some acrobatic sex, not whatever you've been up to."

Naruto stumbled momentarily at her admission, but he held tight to Sakura and got his footing back. Sakura's wandering hands were gliding over his biceps to his chest and then lower still to map each individual abdominal muscle.

"Sakura, stop! You're drunk and don't know what you're saying or doing. I'm going to take you to your bed, lay you down, get you a glass of water and an aspirin and let you pass out in peace." It took all of Naruto's will power not to notice how perfectly Sakura fit against his chest, or how right her hands felt exploring his body like he'd imagined her doing for so long.

Just when he didn't think he could keep his body under control any longer, he was lying Sakura down on her bed.

"Don't leave. I wasn't done exploring yet. I haven't gotten to the best part!" Sakura attempted to snag Naruto back to her, but he was just out of reach of her greedy little hands.

"Oh god, please stop. What is wrong with you? I've never seen you like this. How much did you have to drink? What did you have to drink actually?" Naruto was staring into Sakura's unfocused eyes as she let out a sigh.

"Why… is the sake gone?" Sakura asked before she broke into another round of giggles. Well that explained what she drank. Now all he needed was for her to talk to him about why instead of coming home and speaking with him, she drowned her feelings in a bottle.

But talking to a drunk about anything was a challenge; especially, when that drunk is unbelievably sexy and trying to use your body as a scratching post. It was impossible.

"Sakura-chan, I need you to talk to me. How did you get home?" Naruto asked hoping she had not walked by herself. There were a lot of construction sites throughout Konoha that could be dangerous in the dark when someone was too drunk to be aware of their surroundings.

"I walked." Sakura stated with a serious face.

"With who? Because I swear if you walked home by yourself in the state you're in, I will bend you over my knee and spank your ass this instant." Naruto groaned and looked to the ceiling. Why did he have to say the one thing he knew he shouldn't? And why did it look like Sakura wanted him to do just that.

"Well, now I want to lie and say yes. You don't make telling the truth easy on a girl." Sakura was sprawled out in what her mind was probably a seductive pose. When in all reality, she looked like a rag doll that had been thrown on the bed.

"Sakura, I'm going to get you some water. Please stay on the bed and try not to fall off." She gave him a salute and Naruto left the room; coming back a few minutes later with a tall glass of water and two aspirin he had found in her bathroom cabinet.

She was still in the same spot he had left her. Only now, adorable snoring sounds were coming from her unconscious body. Naruto shook his head and placed the water and pills on her nightstand. After carefully removing her coat, sandals and headband; which right now were the only articles of clothing his poor nerves could handle being removed from her, Naruto gently moved Sakura's head to rest on her pillow. He pulled her comforter up to her chin, kissed her on the cheek, and with one last look back, left the room.

After picking up her purse and keys from the entry way, Naruto made sure her lights were off and the door was locked, before leaving her to sleep it off.

Once back in his apartment, Naruto threw himself down on the couch. What the hell had that all been about? Even though he knew she had enjoyed their kiss, she had been angry about it after she came to her senses. Of course, that could have been because of his thoughtless remark. But since when had Sakura become so sensual and provocative? And why was she talking about his body like it was a present she couldn't wait to unwrap?

Naruto had to keep reminding himself of the circumstances. She was drunk. It didn't mean anything. She would have acted the same way with anyone else. That thought made Naruto see red. He needed to get his head together; both of them. He went to take a shower.

As the warm water cascaded over his tense muscles, all Naruto could think about was the woman sleeping in the next apartment. How right she had felt against his bare chest. How the spark of desire he had seen in her eyes was now igniting what was turning out to be one of the most painful erections he had ever had. No matter how hard he tried, Naruto could not will it away.

After washing his hair and body, Naruto took his hard shaft in hand. With a firm grip, he began pumping up and down with quick jerks. With every pass of his hand over the sensitized head, Naruto's mind imagined Sakura on her knees in front of him; placing her warm, wet mouth over the head and with almost painful suction taking him all the way to the root.

Ever since that day at the hot springs a few months ago when he accidently saw her naked, anytime he needed a release all he had to do was think about her strong athletic body rising out of the water, and he was on the edge in seconds.

With that final thought in his head, Naruto's seed exploded all over the back wall of his shower. His hand kept sliding up and down his now semi erect shaft until every last spasm had left his body.

As he turned the water off and went to get ready for bed, one thing kept running through Naruto's mind. There was no possible way for him to keep his feelings bottled up inside now that he knew how good her hands felt on his skin, and that she had apparently thought about him or at least his body a time or two herself.

He laid in bed for an hour before he got up and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He needed to talk to someone.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Naruto decided waking the bastard up wasn't going to be easy. Especially since he had knew Sasuke went to bed only an hour or two ago. He grabbed a handful of ice from the freezer and headed in the direction of Sasuke's room with an evil grin on his face. Naruto gave a soft "rise and shine Sasuke" a second before depositing the handful of ice on Sasuke's bare stomach.

"Ahhhh!" Sasuke screamed as he jumped off the bed smacking the ice in every direction. "What the fuck is the matter with you? Who wakes someone up like that? A simple 'wake up Sasuke' would have done just fine."

"My way was a lot more fun." Naruto said with undisguised mischief.

"Fun will be me tackling your ass to the ground and making you beg for mercy." Sasuke still looked half asleep as he made the threat.

"Quit your bitching. I need your help with something and after all the times I've helped you out, you owe me." The sooner they started talking, the sooner Sasuke would tell Naruto to quit being a pussy and go get laid. Sasuke's answer for any problem involving a woman was to find another less complicated one.

"Can't this wait? I just went to bed like three hours ago. If you want to talk to someone, than talk to the other idiot that lives here." Sasuke had started to climb back in bed when Naruto grabbed his arm.

"If you don't get up right now, it's going to be a bucket of ice water next. And besides, Sai would be clueless." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto, but got back up and headed into the living room.

"Do I have time to make tea before we talk or am I forbidden from that too?"

Naruto laughed and told Sasuke to sit down while he got the tea ready.

Ten minutes later, Sasuke was slightly less grumpy after taking a few sips of his tea. He looked up at the clock and asked, "So are you going to tell me what has your panties in a wad at such an ungodly hour?"

"Well, it's a just little confusing. I kissed Sakura tonight, then she hit me, ran away and then she got drunk and basically said she wanted me.

The gulp of tea Sasuke had just taken was now deposited all over the front of Naruto's shirt. Naruto reached for a napkin to wipe off with while Sasuke sat in the chair across from him laughing like a fool.

Naruto relayed all the events of the past several hours to Sasuke. Everything from Sakura finding out about Suzume, her getting drunk, the comments about his body and the looks she gave it. After he finished the story Sasuke had lost all of his cockiness and became somber.

"So you kissed and then insulted her a second later by asking for a quick fuck? Tch, you really are a moron."

"I really need to talk to Sakura, but I don't know what to say to her. This is all so messed up. I don't want a quick anything from her… I want it all." Naruto could no longer sit still. He got up and started pacing around the small kitchen.

"So you said something stupid. Sakura's used to that by now and yet she still likes you. Man up and grow a pair already. Just talk to her. Tell her what you really want. You two are already best friends. Adding some making out and sex to that can only make it better." Sasuke said with a slight smirk.

Finally a small laugh came from Naruto. "Man, only you would make this whole thing about sex. But thanks, you actually have helped a lot. I guess I already knew what I have to do."

"That's just the kind of sweet guy I am. Now go tell your woman you love her and let me get back to bed. This is too many emotions for me at three in the damn morning."

With a nod and cheeky grin goodbye, Naruto left the kitchen and entered his room. One thing was for sure, he needed to talk to Sakura. By the end of the day, he would know one way or another where he stood with her.

Naruto got in bed and fell into an uneasy sleep. Dreaming of a pink haired woman that meant more to him than any one person should.

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

**The Tale of the Orange Hokage **by **b.b. miller: **Starts when Naruto is returning from his training. Will skip forward quickly until about 5 years post war. It's still pretty early in this fic, it's not too bad so far. There are a few spelling and grammatical mistakes, but nothing too major.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	11. Look at Me

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:****  
**_**Look at Me**_

___We'll walk in the shadows  
By day we'll live in a dream  
(Walk with me)  
We'll walk in the shadows_  
~_Queensryche_~

Meow….. Meow ….. Meow

Sakura tried to open her eyes enough to locate her cat and throw a pillow at him. _Had he always been that loud and obnoxious? _When she finally got one eye opened, she did a quick scan of the room.

She was definitely in her bed. Wearing yesterday's clothes and feeling like she had been the victim of a mob beating. The question was how she had gotten here? The last thing she remembered was walking away from the Tipsy Kunoichi bar around the corner from her old house.

As Sakura slowly made her way to a seated position and propped herself up against her headboard, the memories from last night came flooding back.

The disastrous date with Naruto, drinking what was probably two whole bottles of sake at the Kunoichi, falling on the floor in her doorway, Naruto nearly naked, Naruto holding her, her feeling up Naruto and confessing her desire to touch him, Naruto taking care of her and being the gentleman he always was with her.

_God I'm pathetic. Even drunk I can't interest a man. _

Hachiko jumped up beside her and purred while she scratched his chin.

_"And this is why you don't drink Sakura. The very small filter you normally have is virtually nonexistent when you add alcohol,"_ she mentally scolded herself while trying to remember every detail of what she said and did last night. _"How did I let this happen? Naruto probably thinks I'm crazy, psychotic, or both. He should have just left me on the floor of the walkway and hoped someone came along and kidnapped me." _

The room was dark, but Sakura could just make out the faintest hint of pre-dawn light peeking over the horizon. "Death is coming to take me away." Sakura murmured as she watched the day approach.

Her cat may have stopped his loud meows, only to be replaced by the pounding in her head. Set to crawl her way to the bathroom for some much needed medicine, Sakura paused when she spotted the glass of water and pills sitting on her night stand. Naruto! Of course he thought of everything. He wouldn't want her to die without the chance to torture her endlessly about what a fool she had made of herself last night.

She picked up the aspirin and gulped down half the glass of water. Her mouth felt like the Suna Desert. As she started to get out of bed, she heard her front door open. A few minutes passed and she could hear the tell-tale signs of coffee being made and pots and pans clanging and banging around.

She quietly walked down the hall and found that Ino returned home and was making breakfast. She had just added a few stripes of bacon to a pan when she turned around and saw Sakura standing there.

Ino blinked in surprise when she saw Sakura. Her eyes were so bloodshot it hurt to look at them and her complexion was a very interesting shade of green. "Good morning Forehead!" she shouted and then banged the pan on the stove a little harder than necessary. She snickered when Sakura's hands flew up to cover her ears. "You don't look so good. How do you feel?"

Confused, humiliated, embarrassed, and mortified. Sakura could think of a million things she was feeling but the most elegant thing she could come up with was "Like crap." And with that she moved the last few feet into the kitchen and sat down on a stool.

"Coffee just got done. Would you like some, or do you want tea?" Ino was talking and acting like nothing was wrong which was surprising considering she expected the blonde to immediately begin grilling her.

"Coffee would be great, thanks." Ino smiled at her as she set the steaming cup of happy in front of her. She gave her roommate what she hoped was a smile and took one giant gulp of the coffee in front of her.

"Damn! That's hot!" Sakura was not only a stupid drunk; she was an even bigger moron sober. _Why me?_ It was the same question that had been going through her mind since the kiss last night at Ichiraku. What had she done in a previous life to deserve this hell?

"_Soooo_ - discuss or mind my own?"

Sakura didn't even pause to consider the request. She immediately replied, "Discuss. He kissed me last night."

Ino dryly replied, "I'm shocked and amazed."

"Then I slapped him."

"Deserved or undeserved?"

"A little of both I think," she said before launching into a full explanation of the previous night's events ending with, "So what do you think?"

"Deserved. But I wouldn't make him suffer too long. It's obvious that he's got it bad for you." At Sakura's frown, Ino commented, "Come on, you know him. Do you honestly believe that he purposely meant to disrespect you?"

"No… I guess not. I'm just so confused by it all," she admitted grudgingly. "Look at what happened to me the first time I thought I was in love."

"It's simple. What did you feel when he kissed you?"

"It was just so intense and a little frightening at the same time."

"Frightening?"

The image burned in her mind. The way his hands grasped her arms, his fingers digging into her flesh, though not painfully. The way he lowered his head and kissed her… slowly at first, and with building intensity, his lips moving evocatively over hers, his tongue tasting her, branding her, until the rest of the world fell away and there was only his mouth on hers, his hand on her back, drawing her body up against the hard length of his. Everything that was the female within her responded to his kiss, to his caress. He was a man and she was a woman and they were meant to be together.

"Oh Ino, it was amazing. It was unlike anything I've ever felt before."

"Wow," sighed Ino. "How romantic."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

After several large cups of coffee and a very long discussion with Ino, Sakura found herself at Naruto's door. With her fist raised to knock, it unexpectedly opened by Sai. He lifted an eyebrow at her and then shared a glance with Sasuke that made her seriously consider doing all womankind a favor and ridding the world of males. Wisely, he stepped back and waved her in.

"Easy there, killer," said Sasuke with a smirk. "I have a lot to do today without having little birdies circling my head."

"Very funny. Is Naruto still here?"

He gave a quick nod and wave towards the bedrooms as he and Sai left for the day. Sakura rolled her eyes and then scanned the apartment. She heard the sound of running water coming from down the hall and made her way in that direction.

She walked through his bedroom and stopped in front of the bathroom door. "Naruto? Can you hear me? Look, I'm really sorry for last night. You were only trying to help and I shouldn't have... well, you know. Will you please forgive me? Naruto?"

Sakura tried again, but there was still no answer. She turned the door knob on the bathroom door so she could stick her head in just enough for him to hear her. As she pushed the door open the water turned off. And before she knew it, she was face to face with the most beautiful naked man she had ever laid eyes on.

"Holy crap Sakura! What are you doing, trying to give me a heart attack? Why are you in my apartment, let alone my bathroom?" Naruto was so caught up in yelling at her that he must have forgotten he was naked because he made no move to cover himself.

"I..I..I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier, but you couldn't hear me through the door, and I didn't want to leave for work with you being mad at me." Sakura gave herself a mental pat for getting it all out without looking down. But now that she was no longer explaining herself, she couldn't stop her greedy eyes from wandering down Naruto's body.

Oh why did she always seem to catch him when he wasn't dressed? The man was built like a God. Broad shoulders gave way to defined muscular arms that were made for keeping a woman safe and secure, hugged close to his chest. A chest Sakura was admiring with pure female appreciation that continued down to a set of abs that at this very moment she would like to run her fingers over, one bump at a time. Finally coming to rest at the large shaft currently sticking straight out towards her. Beckoning her like a moth to a flame.

As Sakura openly gawked at Naruto's impressive member, it grew even larger. She was about to take a step forward when whatever daze Naruto had been in for the last few moments finally snapped. He lunged for a towel and secured it around his waist.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have barged in like this. I'll talk to you later." Before he could respond, she high-tailed it out of his bedroom and out of the apartment.

Well… that went well.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Again she forgot how fast he could be when his door slammed open and he pulled her back into his apartment.

"So you want to tell me why you went out and got hammered instead of coming to my place and talking to me?" Naruto yelled. "I know I screwed up Sakura, but that's no excuse." He leaned back against the wall, a muscle flexing in his jaw.

Sakura stared at him wide eyed for a second. This was a side of Naruto she had never seen before. She was suddenly unsure of what to say so she went for distraction. "Why are you running so late? Shouldn't you be in the Hokage tower working with Lady Tsunade?"

"Yes I should. But you see I have this neighbor. She's a pain in the ass and last night she came home so drunk I had to pick her up off the floor in her doorway and carry her to bed so the rest of the building wouldn't see her like that come morning." He held her in place with a hard stare.

Sakura had never heard Naruto like this before. He was pissed mixed with another emotion she couldn't quite place. Knowing she was treading into uncharted waters, she began slowly. "I went to the Tipsy Kunoichi last night after I left Ichiraku. I walked home from there. I'm sorry if I worried you. I just needed a little time to myself to figure a few things out."

Naruto let out a sigh and Sakura saw some of the tension leave his body. "You scared the shit out of me. I know I made you mad, but you could have talked to me. I am a pretty good listener most of the time."

"I wasn't ready to talk to you."

"I would have tried to understand. You wouldn't have been in a bar, surrounded by people that could have done God only knows what to you. I'm surprised you were able to get home safely in the shape you were in last night. What were you thinking?"

Sakura had had enough. She was no longer a twelve year old genin, she was an adult. Naruto was her friend. Not her dad, not her boyfriend, her friend and she'd be damned if she was going to sit here and listen to one more minute of this lecture.

"You know what Naruto, I'm a big girl. I've done just fine taking care of myself for the last few years and I don't need you coming and giving me a lecture about one night of stupidity." All the shouting wasn't helping her headache, but she went on.

"And you know what, I wasn't thinking. I wanted to forget everything for just a little while. So I got drunk. I'm grateful for your help last night, but that doesn't give you the right to pass judgment on me for my choices. They were mine, not yours, and I am paying the price today. Now if you are finished, I'd like to get ready for work." Sakura turned around. A sudden pang of guilt hit her. She was pretty mean and vicious to him. He was only trying to help and after what she put him through last night, he didn't deserve her attitude. He deserved a reward for not giving in to the pathetic attempts of a drunk to seduce him.

She stopped and whispered, "I'm sorry, I can't seem to say what I really want to say. I'm sorry about what happened in my apartment."

"I was sort of hoping you wouldn't remember that."

_He was hoping I didn't remember?_ She smacked both hands over her face and groaned. "Why? Was it that bad?"

"Hey." His voice had softened and his fingers wrapped around Sakura's wrists, gently pulling her hands away. "It's okay, Sakura-chan. I just didn't want you to be embarrassed."

"No it's not," she moaned, ducking her chin. "I molested you."

Naruto laughed. "You didn't molest me. Okay, maybe just a little, but you wouldn't be the first girl to get all…"

"It's not funny!" she cried.

Two fingers landed under her chin and he tipped her head up. "It's no big deal, Sakura. People do a lot of things they normally wouldn't when they are sober, and you were really drunk."

The problem was that she had wanted to do that while she was sober and apparently it was just a big joke to him. Sakura cast her eyes downward. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. It's not like it was a horrific experience," he added dryly.

"It wasn't?"

His lips quirked in that adorable way of his. "I'm never going to complain about a girl putting her hands all over me. Especially since it was you."

"Then why…then why did you stop me?"

He blinked once and then twice, as if he couldn't believe she was asking the question.

"You were drunk last night, Sakura. I would never take advantage of you."

Sakura swallowed, but the lump rising in her throat got stuck. In all the years she'd known Naruto and he'd been sexually active, she'd seen him take girls home who were sober, tipsy, drunk-off-her-ass, and everything in-between. He was equal opportunity when it came to having sex. Short. Tall. Skinny. Round. White. Black. Tan. Pale.

She couldn't stop the words from coming out, "That hasn't stopped you before."

Naruto thrust his fingers through his hair, and then clasped the back of his neck. The shorter strands flopped back onto his forehead. He didn't answer at first and the longer the silence dragged out the more she wished she'd kept her mouth shut. "You're different, Sakura."

"Um…" Sakura had started to say something, but Naruto gently placed his hand over her mouth to stop the ramblings that would probably come out. Sakura had a terrible habit of saying anything and everything when she was nervous.

Removing his hand from her oh so soft lips, Naruto continued. "Please let me get this out before I lose my nerve. I love you, Sakura! And it's not in an 'I love you as a friend way' either. I have thought of little else but you for most of my life. I have tried my hardest to lock down my feelings and desires for you out of respect for our friendship, but yesterday I realized I don't want to anymore."

"But I'm not…" Again Sakura tried to interrupt and he stopped her with a kiss this time.

"You're not what, Sakura? Beautiful, sexy, irresistible, strong, smart, kind, because if you were going to say you weren't any of those things, you would be a liar. And you're one of the most honest people I know." Naruto held Sakura loosely around the waist now as he finished.

Sakura began to sway and Naruto had to tighten his hold on her. "Can we sit down? I need to sit down." Naruto walked her over to the couch and let go of her long enough to take his seat right next to her. Then without thinking twice, he picked up her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Is that better? Do you want me to get you glass of water?" Sakura shook her head, but still hadn't said anything about all he had told her. After what felt like hours, he couldn't take the silence anymore. "Sakura, I've kind of poured my heart out here. And the most you've given me is that you want to sit down. Have I completely freaked you out?"

Sakura stared at him for a few more minutes. She opened and closed her mouth several times as if to say something, but no words came out. Finally, she blurted out, "I like you Naruto." Okay, not exactly an 'I love you', but it was a start. "Sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant to say was I really like you. I've been thinking about you, too, and I haven't wanted to say anything that could ruin our friendship." Sakura was worrying her bottom lip, while she looked anywhere but at him. "And then last night you asked me to sleep with you as if I was one of your…"

"NO! You're not that. Sakura, your friendship is very important to me." Naruto was rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, trying to calm the nerves he could still see in her eyes. "I don't know what will happen with us," he said softly. "I can't predict the future. If things don't work out between us, yeah, there's a chance you'll hate my guts. To me, losing you as a friend is a pretty big risk. Do you think I'd take that big a risk for a few nights of sex?" He shook his head. "I've been having freakin' nightmares about you with other guys. What you might be doing." He buried his face in her hair. "Sakura, I don't want you to see other guys. Just me. I don't want to be with anyone else."

"I'm nothing like the girls you're normally with, I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"There was a reason why you're nothing like them, Sakura-chan. I could never be with a girl who worked as a medic because all I would see is you in a lab coat and wearing your hair up the way you do when you're working. I could never be with one who had the same eyes without seeing your beautiful green ones. And if I ever saw another with your hair, I could never be with her either without picturing you. You're nothing like any of the girls I've ever been with for a reason."

"Sure," he continued, "those other girls were fun to hang out with a few times, but they always left me with an empty feeling. I want someone who challenges me, makes me laugh, and sees me for more than the future Hokage. I want you, Sakura-chan." Holding Sakura's hand was no longer enough. He let go and pulled her into his side. She came willingly.

"I'm more than a challenge, Naruto. I can be the most stubborn, pain in the ass around, and you know this." Naruto could feel the stress begin to take over Sakura's body, and he had to laugh.

"Sakura, you are stubborn, and you are a pain in the ass most of the time," at her hurt expression he quickly went on, "but those are two things I love the most about you. You will tell me like it is, and not let me get away with stupid shit. You will call me out on my mistakes and I will do the same to you. It's going to be hard at times, but I will never intentionally hurt you. However, I am a guy and we have been known to act without thinking. And if that happens, you have my full permission to kick my ass and knock some sense into me."

Sakura sat there absorbing everything he had just laid on her. Then with a wicked grin she said, "I don't make mistakes."

"Ha Ha, smartass. Look at me Sakura." Suddenly very serious, his voice was mesmerizing, his breath caressing her lips. "We're not strangers. You know me better than anyone. Say you will be with me, and I would treat you like you deserve. Look at me."

She closed her eyes tight. His passion was devastating and she couldn't think.

"Will you at least answer me? Let me be your love, Sakura-chan."

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

Yeah, so Sakura obviously has issues. Check out **One Big Uzumaki Family **by John Smith. He has the exact same theory on her that I do concerning her feelings of inadequacy due to her misplaced affection for Sasuke and the way he completely crushed her. The AN in chapter 5 describes why she is the way she is way better than I could.

Here is a story recommendation from Logan Locke: **Naruto: The Difference A Kiss Can Make, **by** Scribe Of The Apocalypse**. A alternate take on one of the series most notable moments that shows a (realistic) change for Naruto and Sakura, along with how it affects Konoha. It's not complete, but it truly is one of the very best NaruSaku stories EVER! I have to say - I agree with him. It is really great.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	12. The Date - Redux

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:****  
**_**The Date - Redux**_

_____And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky_  
_I'll be there_  
_I swear like the shadow that's by your side_  
_I'll be there_  
~_Boyz II Men_~

"Will you at least answer me? Let me be your love, Sakura-chan."

Sakura stood frozen in shock. Everything he said touched her deeply, but she couldn't answer properly. She was too distracted. "Um…" she said hesitantly, "do you think that maybe you can put some clothes on first?"

Not that she really wanted him too, but the feel of his warm skin pressed up against hers had her heart racing… not to mention the way the towel hung so low on his hips…

He squeezed her arm before giving her a slow nod and reluctantly walking out of the room. Sakura took a deep breath and tried to control her nervousness. She desperately wanted to throw all caution to the winds and tell him yes, but that little voice in the back of her head kept warning her to be careful. She didn't want to hurt Naruto above all else. When he came back into the room seconds later she gave him a small, anxious smile.

Sensing her need for space, he grabbed a chair from the kitchen and sat down near her, but not close enough to crowd her. "I want a date," he said bluntly, "I want the chance to show you I'm not the womanizer you think I am. And I want to spend time with you, away from our friends, and get to know you better."

"But we already know each other."

"You know me as a friend and teammate. I want you to get to know the me that loves you. All I'm asking for is a chance; a chance to make you happy."

No longer able to stand the distance between them, Naruto stood up and moved his chair closer. He knew it was a bad idea, but he reached out and took one of her hands in his.

Her eyes fixed on their joined hands as she said quietly, "Okay."

That one word bounced around inside his head before he finally understood. "Okay, as in okay you want to try this?"

Sakura's lips twitched up into a half smile. "Yes."

Naruto jumped out of his chair and pulled Sakura up with him. She was laughing at his excitement, until he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her so tight she was gasping for air. He placed her back on her feet and apologized.

"I'm fine; you just shocked me and I lost my breath for a second when you hugged me."

"I'll work on not letting my emotions run wild, but I tend to lose my head when I'm around you." A slight blush crept up her cheeks as he told her what she did to him. "So…when would you like to go out? Can we go out tonight?"

Sakura started fiddling with her fingers and looking at the floor. "Ugh, I don't know, this was kind of a spur of the moment decision. Can I get back to you?"

All the joy he had felt a minute ago fled his body. Not wanting Sakura to see his distress, Naruto just shrugged. "Sure, you know where I live. Just come by and let me know whenever you want."

He glanced at the clock on the wall and then back to her. "We both better get going. I have to pick up a few things before work." He started to head for the exit, when a touch on his arm stopped him in his tracks. Naruto looked down to see Sakura's small hand resting on his forearm. When he moved his gaze to her face, those bright green eyes seemed to be staring straight into his soul.

"Thank you again for helping me out last night." She pushed up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. For once, Sakura was the one to surprise him. When she pulled away, he could still feel the imprint of her lips on his skin. As if on its own, his hand went to cover the spot; like he wanted to trap it there forever. Realizing he still hadn't said anything, Naruto broke out of his daze.

"You're welcome. You know I'd do anything for you Sakura-chan."

They both said their goodbyes, and Naruto left feeling a mixture of emotions. She had agreed to go on a date, but never said when. He really needed to get ready for work but first he needed something to do to keep his mind occupied.

He quickly finished getting ready and then went into sage mode. There was only one person that would give him perspective on the whole situation.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

"Well since you're hunting me down, I'm guessing it didn't go all that great."

"Don't sound so amused, and for your information it went just fine."

Sasuke leaned back against a tree and glared at one of the academy students that was cleaning up the grounds. "Get back to work," he snapped at the boy and then snorted disbelievingly at the blond in front of him. He waved his hand for Naruto to continue, saying, "So why do you look like someone kicked your dog right now?"

Naruto was about to protest Sasuke's treatment of the student, but then shrugged his shoulders in defeat. At least he hadn't thrown any dangerous weapons at the children this time… unlike that poor team of genin who accidently walked out onto the wrong training field at the wrong time… They were probably still in therapy.

Sasuke really needed to get some higher ranked missions.

Snapping himself out of his distracted musings, he explained, "She agreed to a date, but said she would let me know at a later time. I can't just sit around our place and wait because I'm due at the tower - and it's about to drive me crazy." Naruto was still regretting his moronic mistake when he propositioned her, and hoped she didn't hold that against him.

"How long ago did you leave?"

"I don't know. Like a half hour or so."

"You're an idiot." So much for Sasuke being helpful.

"Why exactly am I an idiot?"

"You asked out a girl that has been traumatized by having your tongue in her mouth and then you expect her to call on you a half hour after you leave to set up a date."

Naruto started to reply, but Sasuke wasn't finished. "Not to mention you most likely did something stupid like pressure her or something."

"Can I talk now?"

"If you must."

Naruto was starting to regret searching out the bastard for advice. He began to nervously pace the grounds as he tried to gather his chaotic thoughts. It didn't work.

"First of all," he snapped, "I didn't pressure her. I told her how I felt like _you_ told me to. Second of all, I know she has some issues about us, but I thought her agreeing to go out with me would make me feel better. Instead, I'm more of a wreck now thinking she's going to back out."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and said impatiently, "Just go to work and stop being such a pussy, and let me get back to work, too. Sakura said she will get hold of you, and she will."

"Nice pep talk, Teme." He gave the Uchiha a sour look and then suddenly grinned a little evilly before saying, "Go drag your ass back to the world of D ranks and academy students; I'll talk to you later." Both shinobi knew the other one didn't mean anything by their insults; it was what made their friendship so great.

"Tch, the only thing I'm dragging is an eight inch…"

"Pfft, eight inches my ass. It's you that deserves the nickname, Dickless…"

"Call me all the names you want, at least I know I can have any woman I want coming home to warm my bed tonight unlike you." Sasuke gave satisfied smirk as he said the jab.

"You're a dick." He heard Sasuke's laugh as he walked away from his friend and smiled himself. It was nice to see his friend so relaxed and comfortable in his own skin.

He ignored the whistle of a flying kunai and the startled yelp of some poor little kid who must have been slacking. Oh well. He made a mental note to gather the paperwork needed for another kid's visit to one of the Yamanaka therapists.

Naruto thought that maybe he should have a small accident too so that he had to go to the hospital, but then dismissed the idea. That would probably be considered as pressure. Maybe if he… no-no-no…

If he kept torturing himself like this, it was going to be a very long day.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

It wasn't.

By lunch time, Sakura briskly walked into the office where he was steadily plowing through a stack of paperwork that Lady Tsunade had rather gleefully shoved at him when he arrived that morning.

Never so happy at being interrupted, he greeted in a loud and very relieved voice, "Sakura-chan! How are you? What do you need?"

"I was thinking about it and if you want, we can maybe watch a movie or two one night this week; maybe order some takeout." His quick response made her chuckle inside.

"I would love to! How does Monday night sound?" Soon, that's how it sounded. But she had already taken this leap and couldn't back down now.

Sakura looked at the clock and said, "I had lunch with Hinata a little while ago and now I have to get back to the hospital. I just wanted to let you know before I did."

Naruto barely controlled the urge to let out a boisterous whoop and instead, gave her a wide grin. "I'll meet you at the hospital on Monday after your shift ends and walk you to my place, okay?"

"Alright," she said with a small smile. "Monday, then." She calmly walked out of the room and softly shut the door before covering her face with both hands and groaning; she was going to have two days to obsess about this small, but crucial step in her life.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Standing in her office brushing her hair with one hand and holding the new dress with the other, Sakura was overwhelmed with worry. "This is going to be a disaster, I can feel it. I'm way overdressed too. It's just movies at his house and takeout."

"Well, if you go into it with that attitude it will be. Now calm down and breathe. You've been around Naruto before, even been alone with him, you will be fine. There is no such thing as overdressed either. It's not like your wearing a formal gown or anything."

Ino always did give it to a person straight, and today was no different. Sakura took a breath and tried to relax.

"Okay, I'll try. He isn't supposed to be here for another fifteen minutes, so why don't you distract me and tell me how your work with the Anbu unit is going? How's my old teammate behaving?"

"He still won't listen to a damn thing I say, but I'm trying to be patient. I know you said that he can't help the way he acts, but some days I really want to put his head through a wall."

"Won't work, you know. I've tried it before. Sai is… well, Sai."

Ino sighed deeply as Sakura changed into the dress and then smiled as she looked at her friend. "Wear your hair down tonight. You always put it up. It's gotten really long and I don't think Naruto has seen it that way.

Sakura frowned at Ino and then stared at the mirror. She took the pins out, ran her hand over the silky, pink locks that were framing her face and smiled. "It really has grown long. I keep meaning to cut it again, but I just haven't had the time lately."

"You'll give him a heart attack." Ino giggled and then started to say something else when there was a knock at the door.

Sakura started to babble, "Oh my God, he's here. What do I do? I'm not ready for this."

"Sakura! Snap out of it. You are going to answer the door, let Naruto in, let him walk you to his place, eat dinner, and watch a movie. It's not that serious."

She took a deep breath and let it slowly out. "Alright, I'll see you tonight; thanks for the pep talk." Sakura looked at herself in the mirror one last time and opened the door. "Hi, come on in. I need to put on my shoes."

She moved to the side to let him in, but Naruto seemed to be frozen to the floor. "Is something wrong?"

"You look… you look so… damn…" His unfiltered response made her laugh and she forget some of her nervousness.

"Thank you; you're looking pretty good yourself. Are we going to stand here all night, or are we leaving?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he shook his head as if to clear it.

"Sorry about that, I was in shock for a minute over your hair."

"I take it you like it then?" She didn't need his approval, but his response did interest her.

"I liked how it was before, but I'll be damned if you don't look even more beautiful now. I didn't think it was possible."

She sat down at her chair and put on her heels. "It's just hair, but thank you." She noticed the stack of DVDs in one of his hands and in the other was a white bakery box. Sakura could already smell the delicious confection that was waiting inside. He must have seen her glance at the box, because he handed it to her with a smile.

"I brought dessert." Sure enough, when she lifted the lid there was a container of anmitsu and dumplings. If she didn't close the lid right then the pastry wouldn't last until after dinner, so she shut the box and held it in her hand.

"My favorites… you remembered."

Ino sighed a little and Naruto gave her a cheerful nod and wink. He held out his hand to Sakura and said, "Are you ready to go?"

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Their walk to the apartment where they lived had taken longer than ever before to reach. The setting sun couldn't have made for a better start to their date. Everything was bathed in the pale shades of orange and pink. Soft twinkling lights from the business district added to her feelings of anticipation, romance, and nervous excitement. He told her about his day and the big brother project he was still working on while the villagers smiled knowingly at them, causing Sakura to blush. She was with Naruto - an idiot, a hero, a friend - and she couldn't be prouder.

When they at last arrived at his door, he stopped and said, "I moved the television into my room so that we could watch the movies without Sasuke and Sai bothering us. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me too."

"Oh… I guess I can understand that. Sai does have a habit of making things awkward."

Naruto opened the door in relief and ushered her inside. "I ordered sushi. It should be here soon and then we can start the movie."

So caught up in the enticing scent of the pink-haired medic's perfume and the knowledge that she was about to be alone in his room with him, Naruto almost didn't see the female form that was laid out on his bed in a seductive pose. He stopped so suddenly, Sakura slammed into him. Luckily, she didn't see the look of absolute horror on his face and his wide shoulders prevented her from seeing the round 'O' of surprise from the other female.

"Ouch! Why did you stop?"

He quickly slammed the door and turned around. "We have to do this at your place," he said in a squeak.

"Why, what's wrong with your room? What's in there that you don't want me to see?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear!"

"Na-ru-to!"

"Roaches!"

"What?!"

"Big, huge cockroaches!"

"Cockroaches?" Sakura took a big, squeamish step back. Yeah, she was a kunoichi and not afraid of minor things like bugs, but she was not on a mission. She was not going to deal with cockroaches. Uh uh... No way.

"Big, huge ones! I uh… I uh… I was cleaning my room today and forgot to empty my trash can. There are cockroaches running all over my floor! I must have seen about twenty. I can go in there and kill them and then we can watch the movie, but you know what they say - for every one you see there are about a hundred you don't."

"I am not going in there," said Sakura firmly.

"Um, so how about we go to your place instead?" asked Naruto hopefully.

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

Sorry that I left it at that, but for what I have planned, I need another chapter... it's just too long!

So, I have had several people comment that they really wanted me to get to the 'good parts' - the lemons. Yeah, I get that, but it's just not time yet. There are so many fun things to explore yet, such as a disastrous date! To appease all of you, I started a new fic to run alongside with this one. It's called Icha Icha Forum: The Orange and Pink Edition. This is a series of lemony one shots. And because I thought it might also be interesting if we could all get a chance to explore other authors - I'm accepting submissions. Yup, that's right - I want other contributing authors to add their one shots to this collection. Please send me a PM if you have a lemon you want to add. I reserve the right to make any grammar and spelling changes as I see fit to maintain integrity.

Here is a story recommendation from SEELE01. **I Only Have Eyes For You **by **GirlquinndreameR: **For most girls, true love is first love. That should be true for Sakura, too... but there is a longing inside her that hasn't stopped.

I just finished reading this one and liked it quite a bit. I even teared up a little at the end.

So - onto other news. I've had a few people comment that they really wanted to see some action between Naruto and Sakura. Yes, I know it takes me a while to get to the point, so I decided to start a new fic that will run concurrent with this one. It's called: **Icha Icha Forum: The Orange And Pink Edition**. This will be a collection of lemony one shots. I also thought it would be very awesome if others contribute. So if anyone has something they would like to submit - just let me know!

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	13. One Huge Problem

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

**Warning - **

So in celebration of Halloween yesterday - my favorite holiday - this chapter contains character death... kinda... Oh yes, I am a cruel, cruel woman!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:****  
_One Huge Problem_**

_I am a crooked soul trying to stay up straight  
Dry eyes in the pouring rain  
Where the shadow proves the sunshine  
~Switchfoot~_

"Um, what about your place?" asked Naruto hopefully.

"I guess we can go to my place, but what about Hachiko?"

"Hachiko?"

"My cat."

"Oh right… actually I already figured that out."

"What?"

"Yeah well, I was hoping that I would be able to spend more time with you so I looked into it. Kurama told me that if I repress him, you cat wouldn't sense him. I wasn't doing that before, which was why he attacked me. Plus, I got something else that will help."

Sakura couldn't help but melt a little - that he thought so much of her, he tried to find a way to get along with her cat. It was so sweet. She asked, "So what did you get that would prevent Hachiko from using his natural instincts?"

Naruto lead her into the living room. He searched through a cabinet and pulled out a small baggy filled with dried, green leaves. "Kiba told me to get him high!"

Eyes narrowed and an angry frown crossed her face. "What?! You are not giving my cat drugs!"

"It's catnip, Sakura-chan. It makes cats happy."

Mollified and yet still a little uneasy at her cat's potential reaction to him, Sakura exited the apartment, walked across the hallway and opened her door. "Do you want something to drink while we wait? I have water, tea, juice, and wine." She had grabbed a bottle of it on her way home from the hospital the other night on impulse for the next girl's night.

"Wine sounds good. Just tell me where your corkscrew is and I'll open it up."

She saw Hachiko lazily saunter past her and head towards Naruto. "I'll get it." She pointed at the cat and added, "Why don't you give him that cap nip before he does anything."

"Good idea." He opened the baggy and spread some of the green leaves on the rug next to him. "Here kitty-kitty. Gooood kitty…"

Naruto held his breath as Hachiko slid underneath the couch. A paw came out and swiped at the little pile.

"Well, so far so good." Elaborately casual, Naruto leaned over and rubbed the top of the cat's head when he poked out to roll in the leaves.

"I'm so relieved. I was really worried that he would do something again," Sakura said as she turned her back, opened the drawer next to the refrigerator and pulled out the corkscrew. "I would hate for our date to end with you in the hospital."

Equally casual, Hachiko sank his claws into Naruto's hand.

Naruto wrenched his hand away and spilled the contents of the bag in his lap. The long scratches oozed blood.

Hachiko smirked and licked his paw as if to rid himself of Naruto's flesh.

Stupid cat.

She found her wine glasses and set them on the counter and poured each of them a glass. She brought them to the couch and handed him his. Hiding the scratch, he stood and held his up in a toasting salute.

"To a sweet, sexy, beautiful woman: thank you for making me a very happy man and giving me a chance." Sakura clinked her glass to Naruto's.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you convinced me to." They each took a sip of their wine. "So what movies did you bring?"

Naruto looked down at the movies in his hand almost sheepishly. "I brought four because I couldn't decide. I have two comedies, a drama, and an action." Sakura moved closer to him so she could see them and each title she read made her laugh.

"Did you do this on accident or did Ino tell you what my favorites were."

"I wanted to pick something you would like, but wasn't really sure." It was kind of odd to see the usually confident Naruto all flustered, but Sakura had to admit to herself that she kind of liked it.

"Why didn't you ask me? It's not like I wouldn't have told you my favorite movie."

"I don't know. I thought that maybe it was a test or something when you told me to pick the movie; like you wanted to see if I would choose a bunch of guy ones." Pink dotted both of his gorgeously sculpted cheeks, and Sakura was glad she wasn't the only one who was nervous. Taking pity on him, she grabbed her favorite of all four and showed him.

"Anything with Princess Gale in it. I've always loved her since we met her in that mission to the Land of Snow. Now you won't have to ask Ino next time you have a movie question about me."

Naruto's eyes brightened and a wide grin split his face as he visibly relaxed. "So you're saying there will be a next time?"

Not wanting to answer a question like that until later in the night, Sakura handed him the DVD and gave him a shove toward the TV. "Shut up and go put the movie in."

Naruto was still laughing as he opened up the DVD player and put in The Princess and the Samurai, and then came to sit on the couch. "Do you want me to start it now?"

Sakura took a seat on the far end of the couch and folded one leg under her. "Why don't we wait for the food? I hate stopping a movie in the middle."

Naruto sat down at the other end of the couch, and copied her pose. He was turned toward her with his arm casually laid across the top of the sofa. Neither one of them said anything for several moments, and Sakura couldn't take the silence anymore, so she went for something generic. "How's work?"

Naruto's sinfully gorgeous lips pulled up into a heart-stopping smile. "Good. I got some pretty great news today, actually. Lord Kumosaki started his tour of the villages. We can leave the day after tomorrow for the Firefly mission."

"That is great news. I have been looking forward to it for a while now." Sakura beamed as she thought of the beautiful spa and inn. Even the tiny village where it was located nestled in the mountains had a reputation for its charm. "You know, I was training with Lady Tsunade the other day. She mentioned something about this mission helping me to improve my stamina."

"Huh… Maybe she wants you to practice your stamina with me?"

Sakura blushed at his comment and choked on her wine. She hastily set down her glass and said, "What?!"

Naruto gave her an innocent look and replied, "Well, Kakashi Sensei said that they have a huge open field for shinobi to use…"

Thankfully, there was the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside and then a knock on his door that saved her from having to say anything. Naruto stood and walked toward the door, pulling his wallet out on the way. She smiled at the silly green frog that he still carried. While he paid for the food, Sakura tried to pull herself back together as she went to the kitchen to get plates and chopsticks out.

Naruto came in and put the bag of food on the counter, and started opening the containers. "This smells so good. Have you ever had Asanebo's?"

"Yes I have, but it's been a long time since I've been there. Whenever I eat out, I usually grab something on the way home. They do make the best sushi though."

Sakura handed him a plate and a pair of chopsticks, as they worked around each other getting food. Making their way to the living room, Sakura grabbed a pillow and sat it on the floor in front of the coffee table, and Naruto did the same. He reached for the remote and pushed play as they began eating and watching the movie in silence.

Hachiko, lured by the strong scent of cap nip all over the blond shinobi, crawled into his lap and fell asleep while Naruto pet him with his free hand.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

"I'm so full." Naruto rubbed his hands over his stomach and moaned. "While nothing beats Ichiraku's ramen, this was really good."

"It really was." Sakura stood and tried to pick up his plate but he moved it out of her reach. He picked up the limp, still sleeping cat in one hand, cradled him in his arms and then got up and took her plate.

"Hey!"

"You said you don't like being interrupted during a movie. I'll take the plates in the kitchen and rinse them off while you sit back down and watch the movie."

Sakura made one more attempt to snatch the plates back, but their height difference made it easy for him to hold them high above her. With a cute little scowl, Sakura plopped down on the couch and resumed watching the movie.

While Naruto was in the kitchen, he thought about how the evening had gone so far. They were both nervous in the beginning, but that was to be expected. Now that they were done eating, Naruto wanted nothing more than to sit on the couch, with Sakura curled up next to him, and watch the movie. But there was one **huge** problem… and it was laid out on the counter.

Hachiko was dead.

He turned the faucet on high, hoping the sound of the water would mask his panic. "Okay, get a grip Uzumaki," he told himself, "This isn't your fault. Oh god, oh god, oh god! You didn't cause him to overdose. He just died… He was old… Oh god, oh god, oh god! It chose you to be its final resting place, Uzumaki. That cat chose to die on you. Oh god, oh god, oh god! She's never going to believe that! I killed her cat! Sakura's going to kill me!"

Naruto turned off the water, shoved the dead cat into his shirt, and edged over to the front door. With his back to Sakura, he said, "I'll be right back. I forgot the dessert at my place."

He opened the door and was halfway out when she said, "Come back, it's right there on the table."

"Oh… okay… great!" he said with a slightly sick smile.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

He went back to the living room, and she was once again on the opposite end of the couch. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable in anyway, so Naruto sat where he was before and watched the movie all by his lonesome, still petting the dead cat. When the credits started rolling, he hoped Sakura would agree to watch another one, but he was torn. He knew he should tell her about Hachiko, but he didn't want the evening to come to such an abrupt halt.

A part of his brain kept telling him that it didn't really matter when he told her. The cat would still be as dead at the end of the evening as it was now. Naruto was trying to think of a clever way to ask her when Sakura surprised him.

"Do you want to watch one of the other ones?"

Pure happiness coursed through him. "I'd love to. Which one?"

"How much would you hate me if I said the romantic one with Princess Gale? I haven't seen it in years." Naruto groaned on the inside, but thought it was the perfect opportunity to bargain for what he wanted.

"Okay, but on one condition."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "And what would that be?"

"You have to come snuggle with me during the movie," he said with a serious face. "I may need you to hold my hand so I don't cry."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his humor, giggled and then walked out of the room, telling him, "I'm just going to get a blanket."

Naruto gently set the cat down beside him at stared at him. He was about to put it in the bed he had spotted in the corner of the room, but just couldn't do it. With the most miserable expression on his face, he put his head in his hands and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. The sound of footsteps coming from the hallway made him tense up. Sakura was probably going to throw him out when he told her the news.

Or kill him…

"Are you okay?" There was clear confusion in her voice and he slowly removed his face from behind his hands. Sakura was standing in front of him holding a big blanket and looking at him in puzzlement.

"Sakura-chan… I… um…" Naruto gulped nervously and said, "I have to tell you something."

"Is something wrong?" Sakura's eyebrows were drawn together and she looked anxious. Naruto hated to see her look that way, but he knew he had to be truthful. It was who he was.

He shifted his body so that she could see what he had been hiding. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan… your cat…" He paused and took a deep breath. "Hachiko is dead."

Sakura's expression changed from a frown to downright furious in two seconds flat just as he thought. "That isn't funny."

"I know. I would never tease you about something like that," he said softly. "I'm so sorry, but he is dead."

A small sob escaped her lips and Naruto shoulders slumped. He suddenly felt as low and inadequate as a Sound shinobi must feel every time he looked in the mirror. "I… I think I might have killed him with the cat nip."

Sakura sat down next to her pet and hesitantly put her hands on his rough fur. Green, healing chakra flowed from her fingertips even though she quickly realized it was useless. There was a hitch in her voice when she said, "Too much cat nip can make them sick, but won't kill them. Hachiko died of old age." Her eyes grew watery and her lip quivered a second before she burst into tears.

He didn't think as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

She was still holding the blanket, so Naruto let go of her with one hand and threw the blanket on the floor beside them. She threw her arms around him with her head tucked under his chin, crying without restraint until she's soaked his shirt. She muttered incoherent phrases between her sobs, but he couldn't make any sense out of what she was saying to him.

Small hiccups and sniffles were vibrating against his chest, and he held on tighter. "Take deep breaths, Sakura," he instructed.

"Just leave me alone."

It was a ridiculous order, considering that she had a death grip on his shirt. Naruto rested his chin on the top of her head and tightened his hold on her.

"No," he whispered, "I'm never going to leave you alone."

Odd, but that denial made her feel a little better.

"I'm really am sorry, Sakura-chan," he said. "I know you really loved him a lot. He may have been small in size, but he was huge in spirit. He was a fighter and you were lucky to have him even if only for a little while."

She had stopped crying, but still hadn't said anything. Naruto pulled back a little and placed a finger under her chin to tilt her head back. He wiped a tear off her damp cheek and kissed the tip of her nose. "Do you want me to take care of him for you? I know a beautiful spot where he can be buried."

Sakura shook her head and murmured in a hollow voice, "No, I need to do it. I'm used to it. Everything I love..."

"Everything you love what?"

"Breaks my heart," she whispered. She looked up at Naruto with pain filled eyes and pushed him away. "You need to leave. I shouldn't have done this. You'll break my heart too." She hated that her vulnerability had picked this moment to emerge, but that's what it all boiled down to; not wanting to put herself out there and be hurt. The simple fact was - Naruto was becoming known as a player. She didn't want to be hurt again. It had taken years to overcome the insecurities Sasuke caused in her when he told her she was useless and left.

"No, Sakura. I will never do anything to hurt you. I won't leave you."

"Yes you will. That's what you do. You move from woman to woman. If something like that happened, I wouldn't survive it."

Sakura ran into her bedroom and slammed the door. She sat on the edge of her bed and let the tears fall. Before she knew it, it had turned into a full body sob. She didn't know how long she sat there crying, but when warm arms wrapped around her and pulled her down on to the bed, she cried harder.

"It's ok, Sakura-chan. Let it go. I've got you." Naruto's sweet words set off a another round of tears. He was being so nice to her even though she knew she hurt him with her fears.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand." Naruto was rubbing up and down her back in a soothing motion. Sakura sat up, wanting him to listen. "Don't do that. It's not ok. I shouldn't have reacted that way. You deserve someone better."

Naruto sat up and was once again holding her. "I'm not Sasuke. I would never betray you like he did. If I could erase those memories for you I would. I would do anything for you, Sakura. Please trust in me. You are not just any woman. I would never do that to you. I know you're hurting right now. Please let me be here with you tonight."

"I know you're not him. I just can't help but feel like one day you'll wake up and realize I'm not a girly girl or one of those perfect girls like you're used to." Naruto let her go and stood up. She instantly missed his warmth.

"Damn it, Sakura. I want you. I want YOU! I don't know how many ways I can say that to you before it pierces that incredibly thick skull of yours." Naruto sounded sincere, but her pain was still too fresh.

"You know what; some of us have issues. Not all of us can deal with things as easily as you. And if you can't handle that some of mine may come up every now and then, then this," she gestured between them, "doesn't need to happen."

Sakura started to head to her bathroom, but strong arms grabbed her before she could make her escape. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I know that I've done a whole lot of stupid things in my life." Naruto placed a kiss to the back of her neck. "But the stupidest would be to ignore what we could have between us."

"You are going to have to be patient with me, Naruto. I'm trying here, but I can't change overnight."

"I know. And just remember who you're talking to here… I will screw up. You just have to put me in my place." He turned her in his arms and looked her in the eyes. "But Sakura, please don't give up on us."

Sakura inhaled deeply and blew it out, letting the tension go and melting into Naruto as his plea swayed her. "You're right. Please stay. I know I'm not really fit company right now, but I would feel so much better with you here with me."

Naruto nodded and gave her the space she needed as she searched her apartment for the things she needed to take care of the cat. With tears filling her eyes again, she gathered Hachiko in her arms, wrapped him up and placed him in a box.

After it was done, she sat on the other end of the couch and took a deep, shaky breath.

The small distance between them felt like a mile and Naruto wanted to hold her, so he held his arms open and Sakura crawled onto his lap. He draped his arms loosely around her waist as she got comfortable.

She turned the movie on - not really watching it, but needing the noise to distract her. "Thank you for being here for me and thank you for having patience." Sakura laid her cheek against his chest and sighed. "He really was a fighter, wasn't he?"

Naruto ruefully agreed, "He took me down pretty damn quick the other day."

He leaned over, grabbed the blanket from the floor and gently laid Sakura down. He slid behind her, covered the both of them, and said, "So how did you come to find him anyways?"

He let her talk as long as she needed until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off. The last thing he remembered as he too fell asleep was watching the two main characters on the television slow dancing in the snow.

He fell asleep picturing him and Sakura dancing around his living room, with nothing but the sound of their hearts beating to lead them.

* * *

Oh yes - it is Omake time again. Many people asked me - who is the girl? Her name is Kiki and she just wants some lovin'!

**Pervert's Paradise - An Omake**

The front door opened with a crash and Sai came in looking very disheveled and sporting a black eye. He was carrying something under his arm wrapped in a sheet. He fell back against the door in relief and panted heavily for several seconds. After taking a deep, calming breath, he snuck over to the window and peered out through the curtains while Sasuke gazed at him with a lifted brow.

The Uchiha strode over to Sai and lifted a corner of the sheet. He said, "You know, you were cutting it kind of close. They should be here in about fifteen to twenty minutes."

"It was not my fault. There was quite a diverse selection to select from and you did tell me to choose the best one." Sai removed the sheet and sat the blow-up doll on the couch.

Sasuke's brow was furrowed as he stared at it. "It looks familiar."

"I think it bears a striking resemblance to Ino Yamanaka… except for the surprised expression. I have never seen Ino Yamanaka hold her mouth open like that. All of the models carried the same look. Why is that, do you suppose?"

"Hn." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, refusing to answer the question. More than ready to change the subject, he pointed at Sai's black eye and bloodied nose and asked, "What happened?"

"Actually, I am not quite certain. I chanced upon Ino Yamanaka as I was returning home with my purchases. She strenuously objected to "Kiki" here. When I informed her that she should be flattered due to the fact that I choose this model because of their similarities she was not pleased by my observations and proved it by punching me several times."

Sai looked up at Sasuke, a frown marring his face. "The bag broke open and the industrial sized box of condoms fell out as well as the posters of the naked females. Why did you not inform me that I would be labeled a sexual deviant?"

"Tch, I never told you to blow it up."

"Your instructions were quite explicit. You said to ensure that it had no holes. How else would I accomplish that feat without filling it with air?"

"Tch, you really are an idiot." Sasuke grabbed the blow-up doll and gestured to Sai. "Come on, we need to set up Naruto's room before he gets here."

Ten minutes later, Sasuke and Sai closed the door to Naruto's room and headed to their own. Sasuke's face held a satisfied smirk while Sai's was emotionless as usual. The blow-up doll was lying in a seductive pose on the bed, a video camera on a tripod was aimed at the bed, and some scented candles were lit. On the table beside the bed was a bottle of cheap sake with two cups and a glass bowl filled with condoms… and on the walls… lewd posters of naked women.

"So is this what you would call a prank?" asked Sai.

"I call it revenge for making me babysit those damn brats at the academy."

"You have hostility issues. You do realize that, right?"

* * *

**AN:**

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! Please remember - no animal was harmed in the writing of this fic - lol!

This weeks recommendation is **Ephemeral Peace **by: **BelleDayNight: **Sasuke has returned to the village to throw a wrench in Naruto's plans to gain Sakura's affections and earn the title of Hokage. There is a new band of mercenaries intent on exploiting the bijuus. Sakura's life hangs in the balance. Just what will Naruto be willing to sacrifice to save her? There are only 5 chapters as of yet, however, I really like this author's writing and I'm sure you will too.**  
**

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	14. Secrets

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

* * *

AN:

Alright - I have to admit that this chapter isn't my best. I had wanted to improve the very last part, but I found myself too depressed after reading chapter 700 of the manga. I'm sorry if it falls a bit short, but I decided to put it out anyways as a pick me up to all of you who are as equally upset at the whole thing. Send me your rants if you feel the same... or just your commiseration! I need all the help I can get to encourage me to continue writing... that and because my cousin is here gloating about it and I need the strength to avoid wrapping my fingers around her neck and squeezing until she turns blue! LOL

Oh and if you don't mind lemons - Check out the 3rd chapter to my Icha Icha fic - it's the real chapter 700!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen:****  
**_**Secrets**_

_Now you're adrift in a sea of lies.__  
__A foolish villain in an endless chapter.__  
__The demon's running behind your eyes.__  
__A simple shadow we can fight together.__  
__I'll never walk away.__  
__~Black Veil Brides~_

Dawn broke and with it, the early morning sun slipped in through the small opening in the curtains allowing a shaft of bright light to rest upon Sakura's face. She cringed and moaned, "Ugh, stupid sun."

She started to get up to close it, but her legs were pinned by a much longer and heavier one. Panic threatened to overtake her, but last night quickly made its way through her mind. She and Naruto had lain down to watch the movie after talking about Hachiko and must have fallen asleep.

The sound of him softly snoring behind her brought a smile to her face. Trying to move as slow as possible, so as not to wake him, Sakura turned so she was now face to face with this amazing and understanding shinobi.

Even when Naruto was sleeping, he was ridiculously handsome. He must have gotten hot sometime during the night and taken off his shirt, and Sakura had to suppress the urge to memorize every muscle of his chest and stomach with her hands. His blond hair was sticking out in spots and a small line of drool ran down his cheek; seeing that made her giggle.

She must have laughed louder than she thought because Naruto blinked open his sleepy eyes, and that lopsided grin was playing on his lips. "What has you so happy this early in the morning, Pinkie?"

"You're snoring and drooling; it's very cute." He brought his hand up to his right cheek and wiped away the evidence.

"That is not cute, it's embarrassing." Sakura ran her fingers along his other cheek and he turned into the touch.

"I promise not to tell anyone you're not perfect when you sleep." She sarcastically crossed her heart with the hand that had been caressing his cheek.

"I see you have jokes today. Let's see how funny you think this is." Naruto dug his fingers into Sakura's side and tickled her mercilessly.

She tried and tried to get away, but his leg was still thrown over hers and she had no way to escape. She tried to say something, but Naruto doubled his efforts and she laughed harder.

Sakura gasped out an, "I give," finally, and he stopped, but not before giving her a smug little grin.

Small giggles still made their way out as she grabbed onto his hand. "You're an evil, evil guy, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto chuckled. "That'll teach you to make fun of my snoring or drooling ever again." He wrapped his arm around Sakura and pulled her slightly toward him. She thought he was trying to bring her in for a kiss and shyly lifted her lips to meet his.

Naruto wiggled his other arm out from under them just as her lips pressed into his causing him to stare at her in surprise. When she realized he was only trying to free his arm, Sakura was so embarrassed she tried to pull away, but he wasn't having any part of that.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I thought you were trying to…and you were just trying to…" Sakura didn't want to voice her stupidity, so she just said, "Oh never mind."

Naruto enveloped her with both arms this time and rolled so she was now lying on top of him. "That's better." He snuggled his body further into the cushions. "I was trying to get my arm out from under me. I slept on it all night and it was tingly."

Sakura fixed her stare on his chest and refused to make eye contact, but he had other ideas. "Don't for one second think I didn't want that kiss. I always want to kiss you. But seeing as I wasn't ready for that last one, I say we try it again."

The honesty and sweetness in his words made her lean forward and kiss him gently. It was a brief kiss, but the feelings it sparked inside her were very powerful. She smiled down at a now serene looking Naruto. "Good morning."

"Good morning. I think I may need another taste of those beautiful lips to fully wake up." He wiggled his eyebrows comically and it was then that Sakura felt how 'awake' parts of Naruto already were.

Feeling like this was the perfect chance to pay him back for tickling her, Sakura pretended to think about his statement. "I don't think that's necessary."

"Why not?" he pouted.

She blushed and then, deciding to be a little bold, pushed herself up until she was straddling his lap. Feeling more confident than she ever had before in her short life, Sakura gave her hips a slight back and forth roll over the bulge beneath her.

"Because you already feel fully awake to me." She gave him what she hoped was a seductive smile.

He lifted his hips a fraction, and then lowered them just as quickly. "Are you trying to torture me?" His words came out low and husky and for a moment, Sakura thought she caught a flash of red in his eyes.

"Consider this payback for the tickling." She moved against him one more time, and this time a moan escaped him.

"You're playing with fire, Sakura-chan."

Lowering herself back to his chest, Sakura planned to show him how much she liked the way they were playing. But before she could stop it, some of her fears came out as she whispered, "Just don't burn me."

Naruto brushed his lips across hers and whispered back, "Never."

That one word shifted something inside Sakura that she thought was gone forever. His earnestness moved her. She tried to keep the tears from falling, but one slid down her cheek and dripped onto Naruto's bare chest.

"Don't cry. You never have to worry about me hurting you. I meant what I said last night, Sakura-chan. Trust in me." His voice pored over her like honey, warm and sweet. She loved the way he said her name, drawing it out as if he liked the way it tasted on his tongue. She was still looking into Naruto's eyes as he made his plea. She wanted to trust him more than anything.

"I'll try." As if that was the only thing holding him back from tasting her, Naruto moved forward and kissed her, effectively ending their conversation. He slowly moved her around until he was leaning over her.

His hair tickled her neck as it fell against her. His breath fanned hotly against her face as his lips explored further. His tongue licked at her ear. Shivers raced down her spine when his teeth grazed her neck.

Sakura's thoughts deserted her. It was all feeling now, all sensation, the taste and scent of him. His hands slipped under the back of her shirt and were making a trek up her back, when they heard movement from Ino's room.

Naruto broke off the kiss, looking just as annoyed as Sakura felt, but when she glanced at the clock she knew it was time to get moving. "I didn't even hear Ino come home last night."

With a 'this-really-bites' look, Sakura removed herself from Naruto's hold and stood up. "Ino and I usually share morning coffee and gossip. I don't have to work today, but I need to get packed for our mission."

Naruto groaned, but rolled off the sofa, too. "Sorry if I make anything weird for you and Ino by me being here."

Sakura pushed up on her toes and kissed him one more time. "I'm not."

With a wicked little wink, she rubbed her hip along the still prominent bulge in his pants as she walked by him toward the door. He caught up with her a second later and pulled her back against him.

"What was that you were saying about me being evil? I will get you back for that later."

"Promise?" Sakura didn't know what had gotten into her, but even with the death of her beloved pet, Naruto made her feel light and happy and free to be herself for the first time in so long. "Do you think that you can take me to that place you told me about at your lunch time today to bury Hachiko?"

Naruto eye's drifted down to Sakura's chest and he grinned unrepentantly. "No problem. But uh… you probably should fix that before you give Ino more things to grill you about."

With that he disappeared into the bathroom, and Sakura thought about ignoring Ino completely. She would like nothing more than to follow Naruto and finish what they started on the couch. She looked down and gasped. Her clothing had shifted and her breast was practically hanging out.

She quickly righted the top just as Ino walked into the living room and started with the questions.

"Why are you still wearing the dress from last night, and why don't I smell coffee?"

"Hello to you, too." Ino went straight to the kitchen; probably to start the missing coffee. Sakura followed and was just about to start answering one of Ino's many questions when Naruto exited the bathroom.

"Morning Ino."

She turned toward him, but didn't seem to be able to say anything back. He walked to where his shirt was lying on the floor and put it on. Sakura thought it was a crime to cover such perfection with clothes as he made his way over to where she was standing.

"I'll get out of here so you can get packed. I'll meet you here at lunch time and take you to that field I was telling you about last night." Ino was still standing with her mouth hanging open, but all Sakura could focus on was Naruto.

"Or you can come to the tower and meet me if you want." He bent down to give her a kiss and before she knew what was happening, Sakura was tilted halfway to the floor.

When he had thoroughly explored every part of her mouth, Naruto stood her back upright. With another quick peck to the cheek, he said, "Have a good day," and walked out the door. All she could do was stare at the now closed door and sigh. That was one hell of a goodbye kiss.

"I may need to go change my panties after witnessing that display. I think the temperature has risen a few degrees in here." Sakura completely forgot about Ino being there when Naruto was kissing her. Now, she didn't want to turn around and face the Ino Yamanaka inquisition.

Knowing there was no way around it; Sakura turned around and watched as Ino was dramatically fanning herself. She tried to make a break for her bedroom, but the persistent blonde was right on her heels.

"Oh no, you don't. You aren't getting away from me that easily," she sang out, "I want details, and I want them right now."

"I need to start packing for my mission. You don't want to be late for work, do you?" She hoped reminding Ino of how late she was would buy her some time; no such luck.

"I'm working the flower shop today and my mom's the boss, so I have plenty of time." Ino flopped onto Sakura's bed like a little kid. "Details. Now."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

"Well, well, well… look who's doing the walk of shame."

"You had sexual intercourse with Sakura?"

As soon as Naruto entered his apartment, he was hard pressed not to walk back out. Sasuke and Sai were both standing at the counter, drinking tea and (apparently) waiting for him.

"It's not like that. I'm not doing a walk of shame, Teme and no, Sai, I did not."

"No?" questioned Sasuke.

"No," said Naruto firmly. "Sakura was upset last night so I stayed with her."

"Tch, what did you do?"

"Has your relationship reached its inevitable end then?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, trying to find his patience. "No Sai, our relationship has not reached its inevitable end and I didn't do anything Teme. Why does everyone always assume I did something wrong?"

Sasuke just stared pointedly at him until he finally explained what had happened with the cat. When he finished Sasuke held out his hand with a questioning look on his face. "Wait-wait-wait…" he began, "So you mean to tell me that you spent an hour; a whole hour, petting a dead cat?"

Naruto flushed and defended himself, "I don't know. Sakura seemed so happy that we were getting along so I started petting it. The next thing I know it's dead, but I didn't want her to know so I just kept petting it."

Sai and Sasuke turned to each other shared a look. By nature and training they were the sort of men prone to seriousness, but today was an exception. Sasuke's lip twitched. Sai mouthed, "Is he serious?" Then they burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Naruto, growing more disgruntled by the second, snapped, "It wasn't funny."

"On the contrary," wheezed Sai, "I find it quite humorous."

"A dead cat!" laughed Sasuke, "For a whole hour!"

"It's not funny!"

Sasuke was holding onto the wall to keep himself upright. He glanced at Naruto's face and laughed even harder. Finally after he was able to catch his breath, he asked, "What kind of idiot pets a dead cat for an hour just to impress some old girl?"

Naruto fumed as they laughed at his expense, but then got downright furious when Sasuke called her some old girl. He snapped, "Both of you can go to hell. What you two did to my room last night was so screwed up. Here I am, trying to show Sakura that she can trust me and that I'll never be like you and then you guys go and turn my room into some sort of pervert's paradise."

Naruto stomped to his room and slammed the door. He immediately knew he had overreacted, but before he had a chance to do anything, his door crashed open and Sasuke stood in the threshold.

"What do you mean by "be like you?" he yelled.

Naruto wasn't going to say anything. It was the past. You can't hold something someone did as a kid against them… That would be stupid… "I would never hurt her the way you did," he blurted out.

"What?!"

"Forget it. Just forget I said anything."

Sasuke's eyes turn to slits and a scowl marred his face. "I don't think so. If you have something to say Uzumaki, than say it."

He wasn't going to say anything. It was the past. You can't hold something someone did as a kid against them… That would be stupid… "You were an asshole for hurting Sakura!"

"Yeah… so?" said Sasuke as he moved into the room. He leaned casually against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "That was a long time ago. I was a different person then."

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Rolling her eyes, Sakura went to her closet and found a red silk top and black skirt to wear. When she exited the closet, Ino was sitting with her back against the headboard and arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm waiting," she said, a smirk lifting her lips.

"There's not much to tell. We ate some food and watched a couple movies, end of story." She did not want to talk about their other activities, because this day was already going to be long enough; especially after that kiss.

"Nowhere did I hear why Naruto was still here this morning, or why his shirt was on the floor. And let's not forget that kiss he planted on you before he left."

Why had she forgotten that Ino lived here with her? She should have known this was coming. "Hachiko died, Ino. I was upset so Naruto stayed with me. We fell asleep on the couch while watching the second movie and neither of us woke up until a little before you got up."

"Hachiko?" Ino narrowed her eyes like she was trying to figure out if Sakura was telling the truth. "I'm sorry about your demon cat, Sakura. I know you loved that disgusting ball of fur for some odd reason."

"I don't understand why you always claimed to hate him. I saw you giving him treats."

Ino sniffed and looked away. She swiped a tear off her face and lied, "It was poison."

Sakura smiled knowingly. The blonde liked to act like she was tough since her father died, but she was still the same Ino. She still had a warm, compassionate heart that no amount of denial could hide. After all, she was the one that saved the cat and brought it home.

"Sure it was."

Ino shrugged and then to change the subject back, asked, "So, nothing else happened or am I just going to assume you got down and dirty with Naruto?"

"Nope." Sakura made the word pop. What she and Naruto did or didn't do was between them… that and there was no way she was going to tell the noisy blonde what she did. "I'll only say that we had a nice time, and I'm glad I agreed to the date."

"Alright, I'll let it go. But only because you are absolutely beaming right now and I like seeing you this happy."

"Thank you, I like feeling this happy; it's a nice change." As she grabbed her pack and laid it on the bed, snippets of last night and this morning played through Sakura's mind. She groaned as the ache between her legs worsened with each memory she replayed. This was going to be a long day.

"So what are you packing for?"

"Huh?" Sakura's face reddened a little as she was dragged back down to earth. "Oh… I'm leaving for the Firefly mission tomorrow. I want to start packing today just in case I might need to buy something before I leave."

"That's tomorrow…?"

Ino and Sakura jumped as a loud crash reverberated through the room followed by loud, angry shouts.

"What the…?"

Ino shushed her and pressed her ear against the wall.

"Pig! That's none of your business." Sakura heard her name. She chewed her lip and furrowed her brows in indecision for a brief second before she ran to the other side of the room, sent a small amount of chakra to her ears to enhance her hearing, and pressed it against the wall like Ino was doing.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

"I… I know…" Naruto sighed and sat on the bed. "I'm sorry. It's just… I don't know. I hate that you hurt Sakura so bad when we were young… and a part of me is glad. I hate that I think that way, but what if you hadn't and she still loved you?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I never did anything to encourage her. I was never interested."

"That is not the truth."

Naruto frowned and looked up at Sai, who stood in the doorway while Sasuke snapped, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"On the contrary, I always know what I am talking about. When we were out searching for you, I found it confusing that Sakura would maintain such an unhealthy obsession for a rogue shinobi. I asked her why she held you in such high esteem when you had never returned her feelings. She said that you did once. She claimed you told her that she had a beautiful forehead and that you wanted to kiss it, but that you were too shy to do so."

Sasuke's body tensed and he shouted, "I never said that!"

"I did."

Sasuke and Sai looked at Naruto in surprise.

"What do you mean?" asked Sasuke.

"Well, you remember that day after graduation when we met Kakashi Sensei? After I attacked you and tied you up, I henged myself as you and talked to Sakura."

"You did what?!"

"Come on… I was twelve. I mean, I know it's no excuse, but I loved her so much and I… well, I just wanted to see what she thought of me."

"If that's not the stupidest thing I've ever…"

"I know, I know! I was twelve," he reiterated, "I just… I don't know… sometimes I just did things without thinking. It was no big deal."

A vein pulsed on Sasuke forehead as he shouted, "So you henged yourself AS ME, told Sakura she was beautiful… AS ME, told her that you wanted to kiss her… AS ME, and you say it was no big deal?!"

"Um, when you put it that way, it does sound kind of bad…"

"You think?! It's all your fault that she thought she was in love with me for as long as she did."

"Hey, now wait a minute, she was crushing on you long before that. Every girl in class was."

"Yeah, and they all grew up and got over it quickly enough when I ignored them."

Sai, listening quietly the whole time, interjected, "Most girls would have lost interest after not having it reciprocated for such a long time, but you made her think Sasuke actually did like her, but was too bashful to do anything about it. Sasuke is right, it is your fault."

"But that's… I didn't…" Naruto furiously tried to deny Sai and Sasuke's words, but in the end he knew that they were right. He had made Sakura think that Sasuke returned her feelings.

"Oh god, I'm such a fucking idiot."

"You were," agreed Sasuke.

"She will probably hate me."

"You are right," agreed Sasuke again. He added, "Just like you should for the way she treated you."

"Shut up, Teme. I could never hate her. She was just a kid!"

"Just like you were?"

"Okay, I get it."

"Do you?"

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Ino was at a complete loss for words as she looked at Sakura - who just looked like she was stabbed with a very sharp kunai.

Sakura didn't know what to feel, she was so overwhelmed with emotion. Anger, guilt, shame, indignation, and even love swirled within her. She stepped away from the wall and hastily ran into the living room.

With a muffled curse, Ino quickly followed. She stopped short as she saw Sakura sitting on the sofa and crying.

"It's not that bad. I mean, come on, he was twelve. He was so annoying then. Remember how Iruka Sensei would always give us extra work because of something he did. He was always pulling pranks and being loud. Face it, he was an annoying little shit!"

Sakura looked up in shock and outrage. "Ino, how can you say that? You know why he was the way he was."

"It doesn't change the fact, Sakura. I love and respect Naruto now and I'm truly sorry for the way we all treated him, but we were kids too. We didn't understand anything back then. Our parents told us to stay away from him and that he was a bad kid. We were wrong and they were wrong."

"But I said such mean things about him that day. I hurt him and then I continued to hurt him because I thought I loved Sasuke."

Ino sighed and sat down next to Sakura. "Listen, I know you still feel guilty about your obsession with Sasuke and the way you treated Naruto, but you guys talked about that ages ago. He forgives you so why don't you forgive yourself?"

"But what if they were right and I would have gotten over Sasuke sooner?"

"Sakura, you were twelve. Don't kid yourself, he was on your team, he was a powerful shinobi and not to mention - super hot. Every girl liked him, especially me, so why should you have been any different? It was only when we were older that we found out what real love is. Sasuke may still be incredibly good looking, but you two would kill each other if you dated."

"I know all that Ino. When Sasuke returned to the village we had a long talk. Why do you think I don't feel for him the way I did when I was younger? We are just two very different people. I could never be myself with him the way I can with…"

"Naruto?" asked Ino sagely.

Sakura nodded her head and gave a small smile. "Naruto," she agreed. "Oh Ino, you heard him… he feels so bad about that day. I can hear it in his voice. How can I be mad at him for something he did as a kid? I need to do something to let him know that it doesn't matter to me."

"Well, we can figure that out today. I'm going over there and let him know that it's just going to be you and me today."

"You and me?"

Ino's lower lip trembled for a second and her eyes grew misty. "You're going to be spending the next two weeks with him so one day doesn't matter. After all, we have an ugly, old furball to bury, don't we?"

Sakura looked up in surprise. She knew what her friend was saying. She wanted it to be just the two of them because she would be at her most vulnerable. She didn't want anyone to see her cry. "Oh Ino, are you sure?"

"That's what friends are for."

Sakura hugged Ino and knowing what would make her feel a little better, whispered softly, "We can go shopping afterwards if you want."

* * *

**AN:**

Yes, this is a very long AN, but one that I thought was very important. One of my reader's, Logan Locke and I have been discussing something which I think bares great significance to this story. Naruto's actions to Sakura during the team selections. I thought his statements towards this scenario should be shared so please read this so that you can understand where I am coming from in my story.

From Logan Locke:

One of the most glaring omissions in arguments towards Sakura's feelings for Sasuke...is the very reason WHY she fell in love with him!

Like most girls her age, Sakura had a crush on the Uchiha due to his lineage, good looks, and talent. In fact that is a typical trait most prepubescent girls (and boys) display: the longing for the affection of the most popular person. As such - they disregard their personality and demeanor...

So why would she fall in love with a boy who never shown interest in her or another girl? Simple, really: when Naruto disguised himself as 'Sasuke' and complimented the very feature she finds hideous about her, it reached her heart. Sakura, as a child, was mentally and emotionally bullied for her forehead - creating a feeling of low self worth and no confidence.

When she met Ino, she finally had a friend; one who helped her build confidence in herself! Sadly it was a boy that tore them apart (for which BOTH are responsible for), thus leaving her alone again. She became popular, and due to her intelligence - became the top kunoichi of her class.

And yet...she still felt insecure. When she was on that bench, she questioned whether Sasuke could ever like her. Her forehead, underdeveloped breasts, her self esteem, everything there put her in a dour mood. When Naruto did that, he fed her the belief that Sasuke loved her secretly - that he was just afraid to show his emotions around others.

Now you might say to yourself, 'Why would she believe that? He never shows any affection to her!'. Look at the circumstances; she was only around him alone twice during the first half of the series. The first was after the disguised Naruto took off, never saying what 'Sasuke' was going to do! When she met the real Sasuke, she tried to continue where "they" left off - only for Sasuke to question where Naruto is. Believing the blonde did something wrong, she made immature remarks about him not having family, angering Sasuke in the meantime. Thus the famous 'You're annoying' line...

After that Sakura began to change. She still tried gaining Sasuke's affections and smacked Naruto around (when he was being a complete idiot). However - she was growing closer to her teammates, earning two new friends in the process! She began to see how special Naruto was, and that there was more to Sasuke than she had in her fantasies.

As for the second encounter alone...that was when she had her heart broken by Sasuke. Seeing how dark(er) he was becoming thanks to the curse mark, Sakura tried to stop him from leaving. She brought up all the good times as Team 7, offered to go with him, and then admitted her love for him - believing that would assuage him from his path of vengeance.

All that did was leave her on a bench all night from being knocked out...

One could say that Sakura is to blame for her own broken heart. There is truth to that. Yet the same could be said of Naruto as well. When he disguised himself as Sasuke and nearly kissed Sakura, he helped push her towards thinking Sasuke loved her. Naruto was heartbroken, yet he never really took time to question 'why' she fell in love with the Uchiha.

Many give him a free pass because of her comments during that scene about him not having any parents. Those were the comments of young and immature girl who did not know better, yes. Yet her opinion of him was shaped not only by the adults in Konoha, giving her a misguided view in the beginning that she has come to regret. Still, if everyone is going to talk about how her confession in the Land of Iron hurt him, they need to acknowledge how he has hurt her as well!

* * *

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! I happen to be very, very sad, shocked, appalled, horrified, depressed, and extremely angry (you name the negative emotion and I feel it!) after reading chapter 700 of the manga. It will probably be a few weeks before I update again, but I promise that I will. Unlike Naruto in said chapter, I will NOT give up my nindo to never give up!

Story Recommendation from Logan Locke:** Ten Days** by **SakuNaruLover**. A older, but immensely, underrated story that sees Naruto and Sakura grow close during time where shinobi are given a ten day vacation. It's set right after the Tsunade arc and before the Sasuke Retrevial arc. It's a very sweet and charming read by a unappreciated author!

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


	15. The Wager

**DISCLAIMER: **No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen:****  
_The Wager_**

_I walk with shadows, you have to find a better way  
I walk with shadows, the questions I will never say  
Hiding from the gallows, they keep me safe and sound  
So I walk in shadows, the ways of burning down this house  
~Escape the Fate~_

"Will you hurry up already; I don't want to be late."

"Relax Sakura, we still have half an hour. We will all be able to leave on time, I promise," yelled Ino above the sound of her hair dryer. She and Sai had a mission to a neighboring village to pick up some medical supplies so they were tagging along for a few miles for the company.

Sai, who had been patiently biding his time for the last fifteen minutes by alphabetizing the spices in the kitchen, came into the living room and sat in the chair across from the couch where she was sitting. "Does she always take so long to get ready?" he asked quizzically.

Sakura slumped back onto the couch and nodded ruefully. "Yeah, you should know Ino well enough by now. But she's right, we do have plenty of time yet. I guess I'm just anxious to leave."

Sai gave her a knowing look. "So… I assume that means things are still good between you and Naruto."

She and Sai had talked many times before, but as every conversation tended to get a little weird, she was hesitant to reply. Slowly, she said, "I guess. We've only had two dates. We've both been too busy to see each other since the last one because we had so many tasks that needed to be finished before we left for this mission. Well, that and we are taking things slow."

"I know that I have not known Naruto nearly as long as you have." His voice took a very serious tone as he leaned towards her. "He is very precious to me. I believe that my feelings towards him are what could be compared to what siblings feel; and that is why I can say what I am about to."

He paused for a brief moment. "I have seen Naruto do a lot of dumb things - as you have too. I have even bailed him out more times than I care to count, and I have watched him go through women as though they were disposable to him." Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Sai lifted his hand to stop her.

"Please allow me to complete what I was going to say. He is not a bad guy, and most of the women he was with knew it would not go further than just one night. I know as well as you that Naruto has his reasons for the way he's lived his life up until this point, and they are valid. But no matter what his faults have been in the past, he has always been one of the most loyal people I've ever known. If it were not for him, I would have never found myself, and for that I will always be grateful."

"I know all that Sai. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because since he told me about his feelings for you a few weeks ago, I have never seen him happier. The change he has made astonish me and they were all for you. I didn't say this to upset you or sway you in any way. I guess I just felt like I needed to defend my comrade against his idiotic past and tell you he is not the same person he used to be."

Before Sakura could respond, Ino came into the room. "I'm ready, sorry it took so long. Perfection takes time!" She looked between the two of them and gave Sai a hard look. "Is everything okay? The idiot hasn't said anything stupid, has he?"

Sai gave her an unsure look and Sakura smiled reassuringly at him. "No. Everything's great, let's go." As they all headed toward the door, she reached out and touched his arm.

"Thank you for telling me all of that Sai, and I promise I won't say anything to Naruto about it." He gave her a slightly relieved look and a small smile that actually seemed real, but didn't say anything more; he didn't need to. Sai had confirmed what she was already starting to realize; no matter his past with the other women, Naruto was one of the good ones.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

He was already there when they arrived. Because of his position as an emissary to Konohagakure, Naruto had to meet with the Hokage before they left to get last minute instructions. Even though this mission appeared to be easy and carefree, he was taking it seriously.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she saw him leaning casually against the gate guard's desk talking animatedly to one of the chunin on duty. She loved seeing him that way and worried that he might change when he became the Hokage. Maybe he would become too serious, maybe he would become too busy to be there for his family… if he had a family…

Immediately saddened by the thought, Sakura shook her head to clear the unwanted picture from her mind. _"Not if I have anything to do with it,"_ she thought with a determined glint in her eye. _"Even if things don't work out between us and it's only as a friend."_

He turned and their gazes caught. Her heart was still thudding in her throat.

She didn't want him to be just a friend. She wanted him to kiss her.

Somehow she felt she needed to break free from the mesmerizing spell he and his eyes had cast over her. Blinking, she realized her gaze had once more lowered to those disturbingly sensual lips. Jerking her eyes up, she discovered he seemed to have a similar fascination; his gaze had settled on her lips.

They throbbed. Instinctively, she licked them.

His eyes briefly closed, then opened and trapped hers. The look he gave her was intense - predatory.

"Back off you pasty-faced toothpick before I snap you in half!"

_"Thank god for Ino,"_ thought Sakura as her friend's angry voice broke the connection. For a moment, she feared she would make a spectacle of herself in public and throw herself at him or something...

"Is everyone ready to leave?" she asked with forced cheerfulness.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

After many miles, the rising sun finally reached its zenith. Sai and Ino began to get into yet another one of their famous arguments. Naruto sniggered and stepped closer to Sakura. "We should ditch them," he whispered, "With a little bit of privacy, I figure they'll either kill each other or get naked."

"Sai doesn't like Ino," she whispered back. "Just last week he put bouillon cubes in her shower head. She still smells like chicken soup."

"Hey, I did some stupid stuff too when I was a kid to get your attention."

"Yeah, but Sai's not a kid."

Naruto gave her a pointed look to which Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes, commenting, "You know, maybe we should." A sudden mischievous look crossed her eyes as she glanced at the path ahead. She glanced over at Naruto and asked, "You want to race to the mouth of the valley?"

The blond looked ahead doubtfully. "That's five miles from here over some pretty rough ground. That really wouldn't be fair."

"I may not have your stamina, but I've really improved mine with the strength of a hundred seal. I bet I can beat you there. And besides," she pointed out in the direction they were headed and added, "Look at those storm clouds. It looks like it might rain soon. If we want to be dry tonight, we need to hurry."

Although the distance wasn't that far, it would require crossing some fairly rough terrain. She knew that it wouldn't be much of a challenge for Naruto because of his stamina, but for Sakura, it was considerably more taxing. Still, with all her training with Tsunade, and the fact that they would be camping there for the night, she thought she might have a chance.

Naruto glanced up at the rhombus on Sakura's forehead and grinned. "So what do I get if I win?"

Sakura gave him a teasing smile and coyly said, "I'll give you your shirt back."

"My shirt? What shirt?"

"The one with the ramen logos on it. You let me borrow when Hachiko got me all dirty after that mission. It's very comfy so I brought it to sleep in."

"You sleep in my shirt?" She stopped walking and winked at him before she placed her foot flat against a tree and pretended to stretch.

Images of Sakura wearing nothing but his shirt filled his mind, distracting him. "What are you doing?"

Sakura teased, "I wouldn't want to pull a muscle while you try to beat me. I could be running a while. You might want to try it too."

Naruto stared at Sakura for a second before a slow grin crossed his face. He shook his head sadly. "Oh Sakura, do you really think this is going to end well for you? I mean, I would hate for you to have to sleep naked on this mission."

"Would you really?"

"I think I like…" Naruto quickly lunged to capture her.

With a very girlish squeal, Sakura took off before he could say anything else. Her body became a blur of pink and red while Naruto stood there slack jawed for a moment. He snapped his mouth shut as it curved into an appreciative smile and then charged after her.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

Ino could feel her frustration with Sai nearly reach the breaking point when she heard Sakura's squeal and saw them take off. She stared in disbelief before throwing her hands out and shouting, "They ditched us! They actually ditched us!" She glared at the pale shinobi and with a pointed finger, snarled, "This is all your fault."

"Actually, unlike you, I was perfectly aware of everything that was occurring around us. Sakura challenged Naruto to a race."

Ino bristled at his bland tone while he continued. "Perhaps you would like to reach an agreement with me as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, since there are two parties involved; you and I, we should agree that the one who makes the incorrect prediction about the uncertain outcome of the race between us shall forfeit something stipulated by the other."

Ino sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are we even speaking the same language?" she asked resignedly.

Sai explained, "Well Beautiful, we too should race to the mouth of the valley and place a wager on the outcome."

Ino gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to smash his face with her fist. Honestly, sometimes she hated that Sakura told her about his annoying habit of making up nicknames that meant the opposite of what he felt. She took a deep breath and counted to ten.

"What kind of wager?"

"Whatever you desire."

"What I desire is for you to be dead."

"And what good would my corpse do you?" Sai asked quizzically.

Ino growled deep in her throat. "It would lie on the ground and not cause trouble."

"Really, Ino." Sai sighed. "You're always so eager to solve your problems with violence when diplomacy would serve you so much better."

Ino snapped, "When you kill your enemies, you don't need diplomacy."

Patiently, Sai explained, "I am not your enemy. I am a fellow Konoha shinobi."

"Tch, fine… I'll make the bet. If I win then you have to stop calling me beautiful."

"I agree. And if I win, then you have to engage in the act of pressing your lips against mine for a duration of no less than one minute."

Ino quivered with outrage. "Have you lost your mind? You want to kiss me? I should kill you!"

She turned to punch him, but he was gone. "Hey, that's cheating!" she shouted and then with a shriek of fury, Ino chased after the pale artist with murder in her eyes.

There was no way in hell she was going to kiss that jerk.

* * *

**~o~O~o~**

The weak, wintery sun peeking through the heavy clouds was lending its meager warmth as he made his way through the trees and pretty soon a sheen of sweat dotted his brow. His control slipped. A hint of red flashed in his eyes as he watched her lithe body race ahead of him. And sharp canines lengthened and emerged from his mouth from the heart-pounding thrill of the chase.

Thunder boomed; exciting him further, and the rain began to fall.

Leaping from bough to bough, Sakura gave a quick glance behind her to see the blond shinobi catching up to her much faster than she thought he would. Her intense training with Tsunade paid off though as each beat of her heart delivered a bigger burst of blood, energizing her body and thrilling her. She giggled and stuck her tongue out before running even faster.

He matched her speed and then some. She could hear his harsh breathing now, practically in her ear. Sakura leapt over a boulder and raced across an empty meadow. She was about to spare another quick glance over her shoulder when she felt hot breath on the back of her neck. A giggle died in her throat as rough hands grabbed her by the back of her shirt, yanking her to the ground.

She toppled into a pile of leaves, rolling over and over, and when she came around the last time, she put all her strength behind her arm and pushed him. "What the…?!" Sakura looked up in anger only to meet a very different Naruto.

Almost human. Naruto was almost human. Except that deep in his blue eyes, a red glow burned.

"Sakura." His voice sounder deeper, rougher. She hadn't seen him like this in a very long time and she admitted to herself that she felt the stirrings of fear in her belly.

Her heart pounded so hard the sound thundered in her ear. "Naruto?"

He growled as thunder rumbled across the sky and then straddled her body, his fangs bared.

As she fought for breath, her chest heaved, and Naruto's gaze wandered downward. "Caught you," he said roughly, "You're all mine now." Slowly his head dipped, and he ran his tongue from the base of her neck to her chin. Again. And again.

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. "Naruto, this isn't like you. What's wrong?"

The rising wind buffeted their bodies. Lightning flashed and a heavy rain continued to fall. But the long stroke of his tongue felt almost… erotic, and unwillingly her pounding heart changed its rhythm. He nuzzled under her ear, a gentle touch that prepared her for the nip on her ear. She felt his breath over the artery in her neck, and tensed again, expecting… but he kissed the side of her mouth.

She was confused. She was splattered with mud, soaked to the skin. Her clothes were ruined, and the top showed everything - the shape of her breasts, the color of her nipples, that she was cold… and aroused. The black skirt was plastered to her thighs, and as she watched, Naruto placed his hand on her knee and slowly slid it up her thigh.

Her breath caught.

She was still afraid. How could she not be? But mixed with that unfamiliar emotion was another, newer emotion - she was aroused. She was needy. She was ready. And she was mad about it.

Sakura grabbed his wrists and twisted, trying to move him aside.

Dumb. He outweighed her by fifty well-muscled pounds. She couldn't budge him. But she couldn't bear to use her chakra enhanced strength against him, either. Even now, she couldn't hurt Naruto. He captured her hands with one of his and held them above her.

"Love me."

"What?" She almost didn't hear him. His muttered demand was so unexpected that she wasn't sure she heard him right.

He growled low and pressed his forehead to hers. "Love me, Sakura. Show me your passion."

He must have read her refusal in her face, for his other hand drifted further up her leg, under her skirt to her panties. He pressed hard, and his finger making a circle around the entrance to her body.

The pleasure was so sudden, so intense, she found herself flattened, her arms stretched out to her sides, grasping handfuls of last year's fallen leaves littering the muddy ground.

He lifted his head, the rain poured down, and water beaded on his face. "Touch me," he demanded harshly. "Touch your mate."

Lightning flashed and thunder blasted, reminding her - as if she could forget - where she was, and why. She struggled to push him off her again. He lowered his head and ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and when she refused to open, he stroked her again in a rhythm that echoed the rumble of the thunder and her heartbeat.

She found her eye lids drooping. She tried to focus on his red, slitted eyes, desperately wishing they would return to their normal blue. But she couldn't focus her interest on his face, not when his tongue slipped so neatly between her lips and caressed the inside of her mouth, or when his finger caressed her ear lobes. When had he released her hands?

The tip of his tongue swirled around hers, and when she followed, he drew her into his mouth and let her explore. No longer intimidated, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands came up to the nape of his neck, gripping his hair and pulling him deeper into the kiss.

Naruto groaned and then broke his kiss with Sakura. She looked at him with pleading eyes and then surprise when she noticed that his red eyes had changed back to blue.

"Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry. I…"

They both looked up as Sai burst into the clearing with a triumphant look on his face.

* * *

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

Another story recommendation from Logan Locke: **The Fox's Kit, **by** SuperNeos2.** After Team 7 is passed, Naruto finds something that changes not only himself, but that of Sakura and the rest of Team 7. While I haven't finished reading it yet, I agree with Logan; It is funny, touching, and truly heart warming, and I hope you will love it too.

**Ja Ne,**

**AZFAERYDUST**


End file.
